Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-07-26
TABLES D'HOTE IN NEW YORK.

Where Gentlemen Eat Who Dine Out
and Lodge ''Without Board"
There are many more people In New
York who are nomads, and who wander
about over the face Of the city seeking
what they may devour at tables d'hote,
than other people imagine, according to
the Evening Sun Of that city. In this
New York is becoming more like Paris
every day, and it is not only the young
bachelors who change their dining place
nightly, but whole families, COM
posed of the great triumvirate,
papa, mamma and the baby, who
leave the trials of getting dinner
housekeepers, and who find it cheaper
and more agreeable to dine at the
table d'hote. They are especially con-
venient this hot weather. The places
where the Wanderer can get a table
d'hote dinner are not limited to any
one part of the city. There are several
around Union Square; great many OF
the cheaper sort are on Sixth Avenue,
but the majority are situated on the
cross streets west of the avenue be-
tween TWentythird and Ihlrty-thlrd
Streets. They range in price from oO
cents with or 40 cents without vine
land it is worth more than the differ
ence to leave the wine alOne) to Sl.50
without the wine, at a hotel on the
avenue. The dinners at these lesser
priced places are very good for
the money, and are as fair IN
quality and give more variety than an
individual dining alone could obtain at
one of the three best restaurants. The
objection to them is, of course, that the
choice of dishes lies with the propne-
tor. But if the diner happens to like
his selections he can get for $3.50 what
would cost from 81 to IS at a good res
taurant All of these tables d'hote
serve from five to seven courses; there
IS always a soup, fish, entree, roast,
salad and dessert. Some of them pre-
face this with little neck CLAIMS, or in
sert some dishes as hors dWuvre, or
add vegetables galore, and fruits and
pastry with the ices. The service IN
the better class of places is very good,
anC the waiter expects a comfortable
tip.
One of the best of them is in the lower
part of the city, and over 200 people
dine there nightly. The place is as
French as it could be if it were situated
on the boulevards Of Paris. The ma
jority of the attendants speak nothing
but French, the menus and signs on the
walls are in the same language, the pic
lures are reproductions of Detaille and
De Leuville, and the only papers you
can Get in the cafe are lie Temps, lie
Petit Journal, lie Figaro and L'Illustra-
ton. This place has an immense ter
race, lit by oolored lights and covered
with tri-colored awning. 1t is shut in
with plants, and is one of the show
places of the city. 1t is said to be the
original Of Martini's, so conspicuOusly
mentioned in Mr.. Howell's novel, "a
Hazard of New Fortunes"
There are other original places where
Italians 90, and where the dishes are
soaked in oil, and the wine served III
straw-covered bottles with long necks.
The cheaper places are the most curl
Gus, and it is a wonder how the prOprle-
tors manage to supply SO much for 10
little The largest of these 50-cent
bles d'hote serves over 800 people evCEF
night, and the profit on each diner IS
but 10 cents, at least, so the proprietor
claims This includes everything, the
wages of the walters, and of the cooks
and caterers. 1t is not unlikely that he
makes more than this, for at some of
the smaller places there are sometimes
less than fifty diners in all, and s. is not
large profit for the day.
The people to be seen around the
tables are as SoOd ana us various as une
dinner; they comprise all classes OF
people, from the leading man who gets
$3.50 week to the clerk who gets SIS,
and from the artist whose pictures are
in the academy, and on the line at that,
to the soubrette who is looking for an
engagement. In many of these res
taurants smoking is allowed, and in
most it is allowed after a certain hour.
Many men patronize the table d hote
restaurants because of the permission
to smoke.
@In order to force the customers to
drink wine. on one bottle ofWhich there
is often more profit than on all the rest
of the dinner, the proprietor charges ex-
ira for those dinners served without it.
But the purchase of a bottle of apolina-
ris or settler satisfies him Just as well, So
that the prohibitionist is not cast down.
The places are generally distinguished
from one another by the name of the
proprietor, but they have their nick
names, some of which are curious, as for
example: The Fried Cat, the Bachel-
lor's. the knickerbocker Cottage, the
Soubrette's Retreat, the Family Circle,
the Rialto, the Doctors.
The Land of Ducks