The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-09-01
GOTHAM GASTRONOMY.
Till: PEOPLE OF NEW YORK CITY
WHO LIVE TO EAT.

Barbarians in the Midst of High Civil.
z,tinn-The Enormous Importance of
Dinner Giving-Thc Modern Style-A
l:urlc>tIuc of Hospitality.
The essential difference between barbarisn
ami civilization, according to epicures is
th2' then men eat to live and now they live
to cat In American cities, notably in New
York, there are, it must be confessed, many
so called civilized beings of this order. When
they are not eating, they are talking or
thinking about it, and their faces show what
an absorbing idea and habit it is They may
be seen, any evening, at Dclmonicos, the
Brunswick, the Hoffman, or at some one Of
the fashionable clubs, intent upon the dinner
they have ordered and enjoying with repel-
lent sesllallty their various dishes and rare
wines They are apt to have round, pro-
trudlns eyes, largo coarse mouths, double
clllhs, horld, olcasinous compilations, gem
eral expression of matter dominating and
controlling mind They are barbari;lns in
the midst of high civilization, for they are
consrcratcd to their arpctites, and impervi-
ous to the finer issues of life.
y far larger class relish fine food; but they
relish other things, things appertaining to
Literature, art and science. They wish 1t un-
dcrstood that they are delicate in all their
tastes, that the rcincments of the table adj
minister to the rctncmcnts of the mind, amt
thitt the TWO are natural and proper accom-
pahimcnts, depending OH one another They
may he right, i'll Il measure; but even they
are inclined, notwithstanding their moder;l-
ton, to set too much store by tho pleasures
oil the palate. Tho metropolis leans the same
way You see it particularly in the region
bctwecn Twcnty-third and Fifty-ninth
streets, and between Fourth and Sixth ave
nl'"5, where cooking and catering are con-
sIdelrd fine arts, and eating is elevated into
nn elegant recreation. There are. the great
hotels, the choice restaurants, the fashionable
clubs, with most Of the elegant residences
where dinner giving is thought to be tho
srmptuols symbol of hospitality.
Dining and dinner giving havo assumed
en"rmous Importance there-an Importance
ont "f all proportion, | might say, to tho
serious concerns of life, if dinners wcre not
Regarded as nnirnS ts1o most serious. Every
IiaN during the season scores and scores Of
dinners are served within those boundaries
that have never been surpassed seldom
''l'IllFi for variety elaboration, elegance
nnl cost. Paris has long been accounted tho,
'lllIthry capital of the world; but within
twenty five years New York has rivalcd it in
TIN: particular. We have imIn,trd many of
the l'">l French and Italian cooks who admit
thai the bl World does not furnish half on.
dishes, and that those it has are in no way
superior to ours. This is the land of constant
Invention and Improvement Our cooks.
EhiIN" as we'll as foreign are cantinlallv
pr"i'lrln5 new and remarkable romlnu-
li"nS, "r"kin;s novel dishes from the r,.-
sources "f their growing knowledge. Vet.
rl';t'l SlS'r"n"mistS who lave Travelled widels
ana liv"d in,r'h abroad say that there, arc
restaurants in New York rrlipsing those of
the Reform club, the MniSun Dulrc. the C;tfo
Elt", Nrf"urs on the N;chclte I5rrl,ant.
fil'v years ago have heard, prosperous
New WORKERS. invited their friends to din
n"rS "i four or tive courses, with one or two
EiidS hi VINE, and they doubtless had moro
comfort and solid satisfaction than are got
now out OF twelve or fourteen courses will.
SIX wines The swell dinner of today is
really british. Nobody but {; tranc, go,ir.
maud, not to sayn glutton car. SIT it. 7
rarely sec man who does not neglect sew
ni'"l courses, often five or SIX After oysters,
soup, llsii. roast tor game, salad, what
natural stomach wants more than sweets,
lfIlil and coffee: am usually s;ltiate,l with
what seem solids after fish, and have,
think, n fair appetite.
Al formal, public dinners, you may expect
u long menu, but i'll dinners in private
h"uNts you ought To be content with solne-
thing simple But it is at such houses that
@Nl"''M. is carried t" Il point of ostentation,
and. therefore, becomes vulgar A plblie
dni"r at bcmonicu's or the Brunswick is
commonly served ut $l2 per plate, wines
extra The dishes can hardly he better or
ho:" numerous mt private houses, but their
arc"mlallncnts are altogether more elab-
"i''lir aud costly. know Of private dinners
iur twenty, where the flowers in the dining
room have cost 500, and where the menus
m" works of art, done by hand, at $40 to so
each. Silch banJuctS are not provided for
less than several thousands Of dollars which
y, i" my mind, n pccunious buresque of
hospitality.
II Crr>rlS is resolved to demonstrate his
wealth, why should he not put two OF three
LOCO bonds under the plate of each of his
ea">',: Tii, would he simpler, director AMI
II more practical method of self advertising,
Wh''h would appear To he the chief obi icct uf
enriI a'ns''lcss prodiGalty. \ dinner for
t"".Nc is seldom given by Il man or woman
of amy plrt"nsc to fashion-which commonly
signifies n dead Of moncy-for KISS than from
$500 I" 500. What II waste Of casll What
an abuse Of appetite, and the simple privi-
l's", Of home! Such il dinner might he de-
lir!"W>, elegant, perfect i'll its kind, for 500,
or considerably less l was told recently of
genuine lady, of slender means, who de-
lighted a dozen of her friends with what is
called an exquisite dinner tho total cost OF
which did not exceed So, claret being the
only wine. Why can not such simplicity
amd delicate taste be widely imitateds It
never will be in New York circles that as
sumo to be fashionable, for the ordinary
definition, locally, of fashion is display and
rccunousncss.- in Globe Demo
cl;t.