Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10

his scrupulously clean Kitchen at home TOR
nothing he would-no, he wouldn't do 1t.
Yet would advise every visitor to new
York who is interested in the problem Q,
how to eat and what to eat to go to ''Ola
Toms" if merely to see and experiences
what the old New Yorkers used to make 80
much fuss about, and to understand TING
foundation for the frequent glowing REFER
ences to the ancient chophouse In the metro-
politan press.
: There are more modern alleged chop
houses in New York that seek to combine
the elegances of to-day with the memory OF
centuries ago. "The Studio" on Slxtn
avenue, is one of these. 1t occupies the
drawing room floor of an old fashioned resi-
dence. The rooms are fitted up artistioally
with fine paintings, etchings and engravlngsi
panels Of curious arms, swords, buckiers,
mail, guns, lances, pistols, spurs, ETC., nung
on q rather gloomy background. The dark
floors are polished, the mahogany tables
fairly glisten. There is everything In signt
to gladen the eye and tickle the artistic
sense. You can get chops and steaks
specialty-even cheaper than at "ola
Toms" though doubtless the customers
of the latter would scorn to enter the place.
This chop house has its varied counterpaits
all about the upper town. They are re
quented by a bohemian class. They neither
encourage good manners nor sobriety. You
don't dress for dinner, you have no ladies'
society to curb your exuberance, you SIT as
long and as late as you please, and drink as
much and smoke as much as you please.
HERE'S DISTINCTION.
Quite different class of feeders you will
see at the Cafe Hoffman, Cafe St. Denis,
Delmonico's, etc., ETC., but this class OF
orderly, sedate and we'll dressed people is
not more distinct from the chophouse SCI
than the modern New York cafe is from the
"Old Tom" variety of chophouse OF cen.
tury ago. The modern cafe is the delight oi
the gourmet; the chophouse is the legltl-
mate home of the gourmand. The magnf.
cent downtown Hoffman, the fitting up oi
which single room cost 500, 900, or the Cafe
Savarin in the Equitable, represent the
modern taste. The latter is by far the
| finest restaurant in New York as to appear
ance and service. It combines the bar,
buffet lunch, cafe and restaurant.
"Old Toms" is but pistol shot away.
What could form greater contrast between
the old and new? You can get just as good
drink for the same money in the $100, ,0OO
place over an onyx bar as you can down
Thames streeto on sawdust floor. You can gel
| Just as good meal for the same money in
the elegant restaurant of Cafe Savarin with
tables of snowy linen, appointments of glis
tening silver, with the refining Of ladies and
gentlemen, as you can get at the "Old Tom
style of chophouse. Remember that.
THE cHoPHoUsE A FRAUD.
II takes q man of a mellow, fat and
greasy nature to enjoy the chophouse life
| There is fat-and-greasy suggestiveness ir
| the name. 1t is in the atmosphere Of tht
place. You breathe it, smell it, taste it.
| have tried them-these houses-in the in
terests of mankind, on account OF historical
associations. out of personal curiosity.
have always had q great desire to know
from actual experience how other people
live.
At the risk of incurring the severe dis
pleasure of my Bohemian friends and being
set down as one devoid of taste, judgmen
and reverence, I denounce the chophouss
as the great humbug of the century. 1t il
fraud, and ought to be relegated to it
originators; men who used to club together
aud cook their own meals and who chose tn,
simplest and cheapest method to get some
thing to eat. 1t is especially fraud il
New York. where it has not even nationa
tradition to recommend it and where yor
have the best restaurants in the world iron
which to choose where you may eat. N,
wonder the increasing popularity of tn,
clever French and Italian table d'hote
where you can get seven course with
bottle OF wine for the price OF single chop
house chopl And as for the chophous
steak-S1 for single and 81 75 for doubl
steak-with potatoes and everything els
extra; you can get first-class table d'hot
dinner at the Filth Avenue Hotel tor les
money.
THE PLAIN DECENT RESTAURANT.
Yet the modern New Yorker, and man-of
the-world everywhere, scorns a table d. hot
dinner and would as soon think of picking
his friends pocket as to think of inviting
him 10 one. No matter what the dimen
sons of his purse-the meal can be ad
justed to its capacity to suffer. If they ar,
of the mellow, fat-and-greasy variety, the,
may 60 to q chophouse; but il thev hav
any regard for their digestion they will
steer clear of both Scylla and Charybdist.
If they desire cheap, plain dinner, q de
cent restaurant will afford them that. A
single portion of soup-enough for two-2
cents; a single cut of roast beef, 40 cents
boiled potatoes, 15 cents; an entree, 80 cents
salad, 25 cents; coffee, 20 cents; total, 81 30
That is as cheap as a good French tabl
d. hote for two and a good deal better. Yol
couldn't get decent lunch in a chophous
for that money. From this you can go u
as high as an epicurean taste and pocket
book will admit. Be sure of one thing
you can buy in New York anything tina
can be had in any other part of the worl
an d find places where it will be served jus
the same as on its native heath.
CHAs. T. MURRAY.