The state herald., 1891-08-07
A TURKISH DINNER.
Now York City Owns a RestAursnt That
Is Wholly Oriental.


Is Wholly Oriental.
On Washington street. that great
street full Of foreign markets. there Is
Turkish restaurant says the New
York Recorder Tho entrance is not
inviting and the arrangements inside
are trifle the worse for wear. The
divans or red velvet are not very
clean, but the carpets are genuine
Turkish and the waitors are not Amer
lean colored men, but genuine Egyp-
tian blacks. They speak Arabic and
Turkish and very little English, though
they triHe with French.
You ask for dinner. A quaint
oriental bottle. with designs In gold,
red. and blue, together with tiny
liquor glass similarly ornamcnted, was
brought upon bronze tray and placed
upon an ootagon ball tae beside the
low divan upon which you have curled
yourself. The magic word ..raki" is
all that is uttered and you help your
sell to u glass OF the Mohnmmcdan s
favOritc aniseed smelling bitters to
give you an appetite and to help you
digest what is coming. A pure white
cloth Is laid on the carpet In front of
you and n bowl OF tepid water, sccnt-
ed with roses, and towel, form the
next dinner appliances.
Then comes plato after plate of
sweetmcats arranged In front OF you,
together with all sorts of dried fruit.
Everything is candied. The names of
some are interesting, though some
what bewildering. Rahat lakhoum,
hadji bekir lokoom, loz helva tahin
helva, kcafte (grnpes), nbdil-lcziz In
very nutritious African fruiD. tout
mulberries), kishnish. fousdonk.
green pistache, almonds, figs, walnuts
in sort of paste, apricots in pas
TILES, and Sultana raisins But you
don't begin yet There is the piece dc
resistance, the pilau, sort of stew
made OF mutton, onions and rico.
koushkousch, or caush-cousch, us IL is
pronounced by different dialects, is
brought over to this country ready
prepared to make this really delicious
dish. None but nm oriental can make
1t properly. The rich gravy in which
arc found the tender morsels of meat
favored with invisible onions sends up
most savory smell, and the white,
mealy rice which surrounds tho whole
countcracts the extreme richness.
Then there are beans and peas and
lantis IN species Of lontD.
Now comes tho glut of swcctmcats.
and after or with them the black tea
or coffee in tiny cups and very strong,
and tho few delicious whiirs from n
nurghile or hubblc-bubble pipe, or
from the long chibouk, taken while
you lie back slcopily on the soft pill
low of the divan. Now, too, you may
indulge in bottle OF Cyprus or Sa-
lonican wine. for wine must bo taken
after and not during meals.
The atmosphere Of the restaurant Is
not refreshing, but you get accustomed
to 1t, and before you arc half way
through the rich and almost voluptuous
meal you quite understand why Turks
are so fat and so easy going, why they
love TO sit and dream and smoke and
say nothing; why opinion is not ncccs-
sary To them why they are lymphntic
and lazy, and why they can never be
reused 10 push and struggle and com
pete with occidentals. Their very
mode of living and feeding is condu-
Give TO n happy-go-lucky lazincss
which only wakes up To drive bar
gain or 10 fight for that heaven which
their religion teaches them is sure to
be the final lot of every man who falls
In battle with his face TO the foe.