New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-03

prlce ne does not give more eXuulSie uisncs tuah
are set before the guest of this unassumng
r6tsserie. Another French restaurant. not far
away. gives dinner of almost equal excellence
for 81 25, while score of places adhere to the old
regulation price Of 81.
AN EXCELLENT DINNER FOR FIFTY CENTS.
Then there come number Of restaurants-still
French and Itaan-which serve a good dinner. in
GLIDING common imported table claret, puce 30
cents. These places in great favor among those
Americans who like French cooking when it can be
enjoyed for reasonable price. One Of these res
aurans. In its service aud dishes is admirable and
NAV stand a type of the class. The dining-room.
unfortunately, is small, accommodating only about
twenty-five The table linen is very clean and the
napkins are large enough for an Alderman. Seated
behind the little cash counter in the the
hostess. woman of mighty girth and ample
figure, the incarnation of good living who could
serve at pinch as the fat woman IN travelling
show. The bill of fare is changed daily, bat judging
from steady patronage of several months, the
following average bill. transcribed one day last
September
Soup-vegetable, vermicelli, mock-turte or ox-tal.
Musk-meOn.
Hsh-Rock-cod sturgeon, sea-bass, tOm-cod, sole or
small fish muscles.
Entrtes-Beef tongue quail on toast.
Reitrts-Beef la mode with mushrooms. green peas,
asparagus.
ROaSt-Chicken with ehiccory lettuce salad, stuffed
tomatoes
black coffee with COgnac or kirscnwasser
With the dinner was served far quality of table
claret. In common with all other restaurants OF
this class it is the custom here to place OH the
table quart bottle of claret. You drink as much
or as little you see tit. 1t You consume more
than half-bottle an extra bit" "a dimel is
charged. The wine is almost Identical with that
for which wel-known Futon-street restaurant
keeper charges 20 cents pint bottle, and for which
uptown dealers IN NewYork charge 90 cents. When
1t IS added that the meats good and the vege-
tables fresh and that the service IS prompt, IL VIII
be seen That no restaurant IN New-fOrk can ap-
prOach this in combined cheapness and excellence.
Here, too the portions are generous which is more
than be said for the majority Of French restan-
rants. The presiding genus of the table d'h0te is
usually mathematician who has missed his yOca-
ton. Infinite divislbility is his specially Of
bird or joint OF beast, any traction larger
then sixteenth is vulgar in his eyes. Now the
wing of chicken, of the Liliput breed, garnisbed
with a spTig of water-cress. may be noble course
in the eve of the abstemlOus Gaul, but the hearty
Saxon Is apt to look upon 1t with contempt
WATERS AND TABLE-CoMPANIoNs.
With SIX restaurants which give dinner for so
cents have become familiar by repeated visits. In
all you are allowed q choice of fish and SOUP
usually Of four kinds Of each. In one the cooking
Is Italian Here, besides the regular courses
mentioned above, there are added an in
troductOry salad and a huge dish Of
spegeti. well covered with grated Parmesan
cheese. III one gives NtiltI HloucSb lcts IL 10 M
impossibility to get through the bill, so large are
the PORTIONS and 80 numerous the courses. But the
main drawbacks here are due to the crowd and the
noise The patrons are chiefly business men, but
there is large sprinklng of flashlly-dressed young
men with their feminine counterparts. II is seldom
possible 90 secure undivided possession OF a table,
and the enforced companlonship that results Is not
pleasant. The habltucs evidently cat % 1--we they
do not dine they feed Thus, as studies IN gormand-
diZng, they are far more attractive mt moderate
distance than near 90 hand Then, another pecull-
arity OF the place, which belongs Co all the local
chcap restaurants is the prOdiglOus clamOr OF the
wmters. They rush for the kitchen door, become
lost to sight, but proclaim their power by ma
ranguIng the cook, in very harsh Italian simple
order sounds like a stump-spccch. Nhen ali the
walters are IN good voice the din IS like the roaring
of "A menaGerir or u stock exchange Another place,
which occasionally VISIT IL dear to me on account
OF the superior quality of the krschwasser In all
these "fourbitp places kirsch and Cognac are given
freely with coffee. You may burn your sugar IN q
small saucer full Of either and no remark VIII De
made.
THE "TwO-DT" FRENCH RESTAURANTS.
But q line must be drawn somewhere between
pleasing and rcpulsve cheapness, and it falls at the
"two-bitp French restaurants. H1re you get dirty
plates gray napkin about six inches square, and
food which has been bought for the lowest price nj
the markets. Stll, the meal Is not 20 DO despised
especially If ono is hungry. recall one sqnalld
little eating-house oramped In an angle of New
MOuiNOmtIN-st. IL dANtlAtocu - Aull ANhDh AiHh'A
of five courses, with VINE, for two bits,
and bore tho title of the " Restaurant de
Bon Gusto." You entered the low door and,
after passing tho cashiers desk, a wedge
shaped room furnished with two rows Of small
tables. The walls were black with dirt and age.
and the air was tainted with the peculiar odor OF
old cigarette smoke. Two Frenchmen were seated
at a taOe-oue dressed in rusty black, the other IN
a workman's blouse. A forlorn little waiter
paced mp and down the room with very
suspicious looking napkin thrown over bis shout
der. The rear OF the room gave upon the
Kitchen" gave il away" in fact-for the
culinary arrangements were indccentiy exposed.
Like many domestic interiors, they would have
looked better through ground glass. The dinner.
however. was superior to the surroundings The
soup and fish were fair. the entrees were cleYerly
disguised 50 as 20 ailay susDicion; the salad was
fresh, and the VINE wholesome but passing
sour II was native wine, aud hence too cheap TO
adulterate. There was painful lack OF but.
for bur the staff Of life was symbollzed
by linear yard of bread. The most
melancholy feature came with the cohee-
the cognao WOuldn't burn. Match after match was
ignIied; the AR became sulphurous tron mixed
causes; it was plainly evident that something was
wrong with the liquor. The shabby little galeon.
born irish, was detected IN suppressed smoker
He was induced to draw near, ana be shed toe FOL
lowing hight ON the mystery You see, sOr, IL
wouldn't do 10 give good cognisc. This - three
quarters water. There's lot OF old French blokes.
like the two Of om beyant there, who wud drink
more N their heads IL worth. Now they may glzle
a pint OF this stuff and it won't do 'em no
harTum. nor Ms either"
CHEAP AMERICAN TATING-HoUsEs.
From this class of restaurants to the cheap Ameri-
can eatng-houses is a natural transition. as the
price is the same. The latter abound, and number
among their patrons all classes They furnish three
onc-bit dishes for 20 cents but tho number of art-
Giles added gives bewildering variety to the unini-
tiated. At some Of these places you NAV get meat
in all styles potatoes vegetables. hugh plate OF
bread and butter. with pudding or pie, and
coffee, or u pint of California olaret--all
for quarter Of a dollar. You may obtain meal
for this price ut a cheap NewYork restaurant. but
it will not compare with this either in quality or
quantity. OF the restaurants which serve these