Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-31
BOHEkIsH LONDON.
HOW IT DIMES IN TOWN AND OUT
IN THE COUNTRY.
Delightful Dinners on the Thames, Where
Good Cheer and Fine Scenery
Make Life Worth Living.

of the places in London where people dine
would be singularly inaccurate. In die
tionary form, restaurant is called an eat
ing house, but, as applied to certain places
in the English capital where dinners are
eaten, in the good or bad old-fashioned
style, it is inadmissible.
Such is the Albion, close to Drury Lane
Theater, and others of its class.
In the first place, it is very old, and as
well known to literary men and theatrical
people as any house in London. 1t has
been repainted and furnished up scores oil
times, but it always retains an antique
flavor, On entering the roomy passage
the first thing that strikes the visitor is
the office of semi-circular form, glazed and
inclosed somewhat after the manner of the
pay place at theater. Within that odd
looking inclosure there used to be, quite
recently, and probably is at the present
moment, lady superintendent, coupling
the duties of cellarer, and aided by a
barmaid, for within that space are the
usual appendages of liquor establish
ment.
Some rare old wines are lying in the
cellars of the house, to which access is had
by means of the keys hanging, duly Ia
beled, close to the principals hand. Upon
the shelves are bottles containing curious
liquors and cordials, and, in season, a
haunch of venison or few saddles of NUT
ton hang outside the office in tempting
proximity to any predaceous person who
would risk their abstraction. The en-
trance to the main room lies straight be-
fore the outer door, leaving the glazed par
tition on the right, but no habitual visitor
to the house neglects to say a word or two
of pleasant greeting to the smiling little
woman who peers at him through the
raised window sash. Nay, it is more than
likely that the glass of dry sherry, the
Englishman's invariable appetizer, will be
slipped while passing the usual remarks
about the weather. That preliminary
custom being fulfilled, the dining-room is
entered
If it is any time after 7 P. NJ. the place
will be crammed. A babel of voices sa-
lutes the ear, the aroma of good, substan-
have much work before them in order to
pierce the smoke. The room is divided,
after old English coffee-room fashion, into
boxes-that is to say, two benches and a
table placed between partitions. The
benches are cushioned, the tables are mar
row, and so are the boxes. As all, or
nearly all, within the room at the evening
meal are acquainted, the small boxes in
no way interfere with extended sociability.
Little visits are exchanged, remarks flung
across the room, and noisy salutations
given and taken without regard to dis
tance. The talk is generally of the shop,
SLOPPY, and it is in such places that many
good jobs are picked up by writers, many
desirable engagements secured by actors,
and not a few successful plays introduced
to the notice of managers.
1t is Bohemia RECALLING, and very Bo-
hemian some of the regalers appear. The
cut or fashion of mans coat has no in
fuence in these semi-artistic eating places.
His wit and brilliancy are of more value
and command due respect in community
| where brains are very often the only capi-
tai. Let a really gifted man become
| frightfully impecunious-and they will
sometimes perversely insist on doing it
and let him go or be taken to a place ol
the Albion type, and he will soon forget
his poverty and remember only to do his
| best to shine among such powerful lights
as he is sure to meet there.
The material comforts are, in their way,
capital. The fish, meat and vegetables
are of the best, the beer undoubted, the
cheese and pulled bread splendid and the
post-prandial grog magnificent. The
spoons are Of silver, but battered; the
forks, also silver, are crooked, but the
knives are as scrupulously clean as the
table linen, and are as sharp as razors. The
old head waiter, for there always is an old
head waiter in such places. knows every
one in the room, not only by name and
occupation, but is acquainted with hi:
very popularity, down to the exact modi.
cum Of fat he likes, the particular cut he
prefers, and also the extent of his appetite
There is no stint Of quantity, however
for the wheeled truck, with the days joint
will be placed at the tables side as often a:
the guest requires, and the good humoreo
carver will cut and come again as often
as he may be called. The usual price fol
dinner is half crown and threepence
for attendance, with generally threepencs
added for the waiter, as free offering; IL
all IS cents for two courses-fsh and meat
and pudding or pie, and bread and cheese
A very moderate reckoning, when quan
tity and quality are considered. OF course
the wines, beer and grog are extras, and so
too, are the cigars.
| In giving this sketch of the attributes
of the Albion and its patrons, almost the
whole Of the purely London dining place.
are covered, with this difference, that
some of the West End establishment
are more elaborate in their table ap
pointments and more expensive in theil
charges. Whenever really good dinner
of plain, well-cooked food is desired, the
traveller is recommended to patronize 6
large. widely known, but old-fashionec
place. The great popularity of the house
generally stimulates the proprietor to keeI
pace with the times without deviating
from the sound policy which created pop
ularity.
Let all very small establishments b'
carefully eschewed They are generally
remarkable for dirt, poor food, bad cooking
and exorbitant charges, and as for theil
wines and liquors, they may be generically
labeled ''slow poisons" | have already
touched upon foreign dining places in Lon
don, but there are many that are wei
worth visiting, but more especially for such
travellers as affect the foreign fashion an6
put off their breakfast until past noon
Then the "dejeuner la fourchette" is EN-
inently proper, and London is filled will
places where such meal can be had il
perfection. The claret will be sound viz
ordinaire, the outlets well cooked and the
potato-chips done to turn. 1t is in suct
places only that the omelet can be eater
in perfection, and the chase with thu
coffee enjoyed in sybaritish fashion
Some of the company will probably be ;
little shady, but that need not distress the
traveller who ''dines and rides away"
OF all enjoyable dinners, however, com
mend me to some Of the riverside repasts
/ mean those eaten in quaint honeysuckle
covered old taverns, with all modern ap
pliances, upon the borders Of that beauti
ful river, the Thames-above Chelsea
away up stream above Richmond, beyono
Kingston, through Henley, Sonning, ant
SO on as far as inclination may lead. Ne
''Star and Garter" wax-candle, white
choker-waiter, imposition of poor food and
terrific prices, surrounded with noodle:
spending, or rather wasting, money, but {