New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-16

TO have from twenty to eighty. The average
dinner party. however numbers from eighteen 10
twenty. Where receptions a few years ago rm
hered from 500 TO 400 guests, they now number
from 600 70 900
What is the cost Of a nice dinner"
THAT depends on the wines and flowers An
excellent dinner for twenty persons can be served
at SO a plate The flowers will cost abOut 81 -
and the wines from 81 TO 50 head. AZ Mrs
Astors ball few weeks ago. the finest cnicrtain-
ment she ever gave the wines on the supper table
were very fine Her Stcinbcrrcr Cabinet cost SIS
a bottle The supper at the New Years Ball az
the Metropolitan cost only s. 30 n plate. without
wines BY the way, You might be interested IN
reading this note concerning it,.
OVER 1900 PERSONS At SUPPER.
The note was as follows:
Messrs. j. B. Pnard Sons, J.. 15thst NewtYork CITY.
Sirs ! send you my congratulations at the
vellous success you have giving supper 25j
people all seated small tables, al the ''New Year,
Ball" Of the ID OF January. 1890 The supper adj
nrabe the service perfect great success IS hoped
II would be. Very respectfully yours.
New-York CITY, Jan. :. 1890. WARD McALLTSTER.
Little is known 30 the public" said Pinard,
"of the responsibility and the enormous amount
of detail that enter into the serving Of a ball
supper for l,255 guests. particularly when it is
call buffet When Mr. McAllisicr requested me
10 furnish the supper for the New Years Ball
Lesitated as il is most difficult TO serve argc
a supper when the kitchen is far removed from
the supper-roOms as at the Metropolitan Opera
House The kitchen of the Opera House good
sized room and well appointed IS situated below
the level Of the street while the suppcr-Ooms
are up three fights Of stairs. There are but two
wavs Of getting the dishes from the kitchen 10
the dining-roOm. One is by ascending spiral
staircase, after reaching the top Of which a waiter
is SO dizzy that it is almost impossible for him
to make another trip. The other is by dumb
waiter. very small one, and which reaches Il
platform in a small passagcway outside OF the
coDccrt-room With these mcagrc arrangements
il would be impossible TO serve a hot supper 10 50
large a number successfully.
Something had TO be done 10 surmount these
difficulties 50 ! ARRANGED a way from the kitchen
TO the stone stairs which 20 up TO the assembly
rooms from the Thirty-ninthst entrance, adJoin-
ing the porte cochere. This nccosstatcd building
q wooden extension on The sidewalk, Whlch Gov
cred the cprcss from the kitchen and the entrance
TO the staircase Although this was a rOnnd'boI
way Of reaching the dinins-Toom, it was The only
available way, and with a large corps oi waters
and 'omnibuscs' this proved successful Perhaps
helper 20 the waiter and removes the oolcd dishes
and brings new supplies.
Il aarranpcd temporary kitchen upstairs IN
small room, behind the conccrt-room, and III what
was the original kitchen when the Opera House
WAS first opened. Here ! placed SIN gas stoves
and plate warmers and other necessary steam
tables for keeping hot the tcrrapns, croquetteS de
volatile nlet de bocuf and other courses winch
would be spoiled if they were served cold. c"nid
moi get possession of the assembly rooms uh'li
Wednesday afternoon. BY O'Clock had the
snau supper tables in position and the china ana
,.l..e all ready 20 be brought up and placed upon
them As there were no rcirlgcrators or c"Id
rooms none of the food could be brought 10 the
Oncra House until the day of the ball Every
thing was prepared for cooking at the fhard
establishment. | had the champagne sent mp
a. ! o'clock Thursday, and soon altrr " was pun
on ice in the room over the temporary k'cheh
e. ,,root this. the ices were also in freczcrs
by O'Clock ten chefs, ariaycd III spot"SS iliich
bcGttiuc the OCCASION, had taken their positions
a. tho yorious ranges. ready 10 begin their nights
labor. They had nothing 10 do but cook-every-
thing had been prepared ready to put on the
fire Two hundred walters were giving the hnish-
ing touches to the tables upstairs whch thc cIoch
struck l. and a half hour later the doors we're
ope1ed and MIR McAllistcT's party Of twenty-five
filed i'm and took their seats at large table which
had been especially set for them
LIKE THE GREATEST SHOW or EARTH
DO you furnish table linen, plates, knives
forks, spoons, etc. at these entertainments :? the
writer asked.
YES, we furnish about everything except the
ranges and the dnng-room. Here Is complete
list of what we are often called on 10 supply.
lie handed the reporter " Loan List, con-
tanning in a long column the name of every con-
IL n Dir
II was made out IN the form of "a bill" Mr..
Stuyvesant Brown, Dr.. 10 3 damask tabc-clotls,
2 dozen plates, dozen teaspoons, dozen wine
glasses" etc, etc. One of these lists is sent out
with each dinner, and the gver of the dinner is
held nominally accountable for the safe return Of
all the articles mentioned III the loan In reality
Pinard would not think of charging man for
lost spoon
Said be IL can only iken my business TO the