Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-01

HOTEL-THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE BILL. OF
| FARE--soME IRREGULARITIES OF FoREIGNERs-
HOW THE CALCULATION Is MADE AS TO THE
NUMBER TO BE FED-wAsHINGToN AS GAME
| MARKET.
As a STAR reporter was standing in the office
Of one Of the largest hotels in this city talking
with the proprietor day or two ago. the con-
versation was interrupted by voice speaking
in gruf tones, "Say, can sell you any nice
quail to-daya"
81 don't know responded the hotel man.
THAT will dependon the quality of the birds
| and how much you ask for them. When Gid
| you shoot them. and where are they now?"
'They are outside in my wagon, and shot
them UP in Montgomery county this morning."
replied the countryman.
well, take them down to my storekeeper,
and II he wants them come back here, aud
Will buy whatever he recommends"
The bird hunter walked briskly away, and
The STAR man, turning to the host, said DO
you buy your game to any extent oflocal sports
menu"
mo, not as a rule" was the reply "but once
in while. when they bring in game which is
| fresh take it'
do they ever try to fool your" was the
| query.
They used to. but am too old bird to be
caught by their chat. That man claims to have
shot those quail this morning. I'll soon know
| whether his allegations are correct. My store
keeper will give the birds an examination, and
| If they are as represented he'll let me know
| about it."
'Do you use much game at the present sea-
SOM"
"Well yes, although the real season has
| hardly begun. Still have now mallard, blue
| wing and red head duck, wild turkeys and the
| smaller game which abounds in this vicinity;
that is, in circle having diameter, say OF forty
| miles. Later in the year other game. such as
young venisOn, comes in. We get very nice
| venisOn from Virginia"
washington must be a good game market?"
There is none better. We can get every deli
cacy. The diamond back terrapin, that delight
| OF epicures, and the delicate canvas back duck
! are, perhaps, found more frequently here than
| In any city. unless it may be New York. doubt
II even there the consumption OF those two dishes
is greater than in this CITY,"
VISIT TO THE KITCHEN
"1f your time is not occupied at present have
you any objection to revealing the mysteries Of
| your Kitchen"
''Oh, no! If you will 60 with me we will look
ct the interior arrangements" replied the genial
BOniface, who then led the way through num-
Der OF corridors until passing through door, he
| exclaimed "here is the store room" The re-
| porter looked around over what seemed to him
| disorderly array Of boxes and barrels, chests
and drawers. but it was quickly manifest that
| there was perfect system throughout. and that
everything was in Its proper place.
You see here the grocery department" con-
| tinued the keeper of the modern hosiery; .sneXt
is the china room, and further on is the meat
| ROOM"
Passing into the china room every article in
| that line used In the great house could be seen.
the host explaining that duplicates were kept
| so that any loss by breakage or other accident
could be instantly repaired. Stepping next into
| the meat room, the observer for an instant felt
that he had walked into fully stocked butcher
shop.
Here" remarked the reporters conductor,
"all the meat is received and hung until 1t is
ready for the kitchen. You will see" ne con-
| tinued, THAT our meat comes only in the short
loins. in tenderloins and in stands of ribs for
roasting. From the short loins the porter house
and sirlOin steaks only are taken-for tenderloin
! steaks we buy the tenderons themselves"
'HoW about the old cOupet concerning the
| goose hanging high!" inquired the scribe who
| n oticed some birds resting on galvanized iron
| p ates which We're surrounded by ice.
1.-The man who hung goose to enhance its
flavor would not have palatable dish" was
| the terse response. That idea is exploded.
| The only meat which is not better freshly
served is mutton. and that isn't kept long. Not
only is the thought of keeping meat repulsiye
| but in reality the practice has been relegated to
its proper place among the legends of cookery"
''Tou have some nice fish" said the reporter,
| who noticed the shining scales Of number of
| lake trout glittering. in the shadow of corner
| in the room.
eyes," was the reply. 'for the various kinds
of bass. sheepshead and Spanish mackerel
| Washington eXcels The rest of the fish we get
| from New York"
THE BHL-OF-FARE.
"WhoHrranges your bill-Of-fare?' was asked
while leaving the store-room.
1.-The Chef He each morning sends to me his
entrees, ct cetera. and arrange from them the
bill for the day. Of course 1 know pretty well
what he will have. as know what has been
bought tor the table"
'When you entertain distinguished foreigners
is it customary to prepare their food with refer
ence to their peculiar national characteristics OF
| habits!"
'Oh yes, that is one of the courtesies, indeed.
| may say. one of the necessities which no wise
| host would omit"
MAY ask the peculiarities which You have
| found most noticeable!'
when the French and German guests of the
yorktown centennial were here they occupied
| separate dining rooms, and the difference be-
tween the two countries was strongly marked.
The Frenchmen were more formal and required
much attention in the service of their food
| They seldom called for more than one dish at
time, While the Germans dined en- fdD,iUe and
would call for several courses and entrees at
once. The Mala9assy ENJOYS. from Madagas-
car, were the most peculiar people whom | have
met. They would eat no meat. except. perhaps,
little chicken or some similar food. They
were fond of fish and rice. The latter they re-
| qured for every meal; at breakfast lunch din
ner and at midnight they asked for rice. The
Siamese Embassy who you will recolect, were
here last summer, were much more civilized and
were fond OF American and European dishes
Still they were never without curry and other
oriental foods"
'HOw does your chef know how much to
cook? How can he calculate the number Of
people for whom to prepare the dinner?' was
the inquiry.
Each morning we make our estimate from
the number OF guests in the house. and guess
at the probable number of arrivals For in
stance, we send to the kitchen all estimate suf-
ticient for two hundred people. On that amount
we could easily ieed two hundred and twenty
five persons, and it rarely happens that our
calculation goes as far as that out Of the way"
How many employees have you who are con-
nected directly with the culinary department."
"Well. including the storekeeper the stew
ard, the head cook, the night cook and their va
rious assistants, there are about thirty men,"
do you have separate cook for your ser
vants2'
"Oh, yes! To certain extent the servants
consume what is lett from the guests table but
that is not their principal source of supply"
DO you do your own buying, or leave it to
| the steward"
Eyes l buy everything myself Come around
some morning, at 6 O'clock. and I'll take you to
market with me and show you how it is DONE"
BY this time the Office was reached again, and
the hotel mans attention having been called to
a business matter he babe the reporter s.good-
bye" and the latter returned to his desk to