The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-20
FASHIONABLE DINNERS.
louis Sherry Tells of tho Resources
Of the Caterers Art.
Como Costly Entcrtainments-ISow Z Mnn
sion Was TEired for Twenty-Four Hours
and SuEtptuously Furnished for "A
Wedding Reception.
lcopYRIcHT, 1921

. y
for it,
That is the rule that governs nearly
every fashionable catering establish
nnent- You can order dinner for one.
or dinner for a hundred. You can
have cake and ices, or you can have
Serrapin and canvasbacks. You can
have n full brass band. or u string or
chestra, or only harpist. You can
have some one to play the castnets or
you can have Emma Eamcs or Padcr-
ewski. You can have anything and
everything you want-ifyou are willing
TO pay forit.
With this grand choice in the selcc-
fion of entertainments it is no wonder
that the fashionable woman hesitatcs
when she attempts to decide how she
will entertain her guests And so it
happens TINT in nine cases out of ten
shc caterer is told to plan the entertain
ment, provide the music, look after the
floral decorations and even inform the
hostess about the number Of guests that
can be nicely accommodated at the en-
tertainment which has been planned.
The caterer thus has full sway. and full
responsibility, also. If all things 90
right he is lauded to the skies and his
Dill is generally pronounced far too
small. If things go wrong or if there
rs hitch anywhere the caterer is
blamed. His bill is grudgingly paid
'Hnd patronage is withdrawn.
He must even so plan things that the
guests neither weary at the length of Il
dinner nor chafc because the entertain
ment is the same rs was provided else
where. For the time being he must be
all things to all people. And woe to
him and to his business if as much as
one flower be withercd or q strain Of
music strike into 6iscord.
To accord with the peculiar tastes of
che season the fashionable caterer has
cut down the fashionable dinner until
1T is only nine courses long. 1t lasts
only an hour and half Many dinners
arc by special request only seven
courses long and just an hour is occu-
pied in serving them. The correct hour
for dinner is eight o'clocll-neithcr
earlier nor later Following the GUS
tom of some English houses few New
York hostcsscs have made the ceremony
OF entering the dining-room Il very
simple one, instead of being stately and
cercmonious. The hostess herself leads
the way, followed by the ladies of the
party. Then come the gentlemen. fol-
lowed by the host, who comes last. The
hostess herself indicates the places at
Che table, and all is done in II delight
fully simple and unassuming way
Very large dinners arc as much liked
this season as they were dislilsed half u
dozen seasons ago. 1t is not unusual
now to serve n dinner for sixty or
seventy people and to remove the tables
afterward SO that there can be dancing.
11hQS0 dinner 6oproc orn ,-or,, ,,oo,,Jo,
and last year served u series of four
OF them at the homes of some of the
most elegantly fashionable women in
New York
The cost OF such dinncrvarics great
w. For rs low as $40 or Sla a cover n
very acceptable dinner, with wine and
pretty decorations, can bc arranged
The series of dinners Of which speak
cost So Il cover. This sam included
music, flowers, favors and decorations
oT al kinds.
Usually the question is not "IIow
rlnch will it cCst?" but GLOW nice can
you make it?" ! must constantly de-
wise something which shall be entirely
new and pretty enough to excite even
the blase admiration of those who dine
and wine on the costlicst and hand
soonest tables i'll the world.
Color dinners are very popular. The
Howcrs which are used in the decoration
of the table must correspond to the
color which is chosen as the prevailing
hne of the dinner, and thus the caterer
rs obliged to conform in color to the
flowers of the season.
At this time of the year violet dinners,
zEauvc dinners, yellow dinners, pink
dinners and red dinners ore "a II pon,,lo,.
Perhaps more popular than any of them
AS the green dinner, because at this
season the green of the holly and the
niistletoe gives an especially beautiful
effect to the dining table.
AT these color dinners everything is
made to correspond. The favors match
the flowers. The dishes motch the
favors. The napcry, so far as practical
BILE. matches the dishes, and all unite to
make one harmonious whole.
If pink dinner is called for this time
of the year, pink roses nrc chosen to
decorate the table II violet or rlauve
dinners are wanted violets are used
For yellow dinners, yellow chrysanthe-
NUNS and yellow roses arc selected, and
Sor red dinners red roses and the red
berries of the holly and bitterswcct arc
obtained.
Children's parties are very elegant af-
Fairs. They are from four to seven"
IN the afternoon and arc in every way
conducted like the parties of grown up
people For the supper, however, very
simple things are served Tiny pattics,
simple salads, plain cakes, coaxed into
prettiness with colored icing, ice creams
and plenty of bonbons COMPRISE tho on