The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-12
TO EAT IS NOT GOOD FORM.
II INVITED To a SMART DINNER
DINE BEFORE YOU GO.

From the New York Press.
An American author and musician told
a queer little story the other day thar
ran like this.
Went 10 the opera last night. sat in a
box with two ladies and three men; socia5
leaders: very swell: felt out Of place.
heard nothing but talk and chatter; missed
all the singing and music. after the opera,
supper at the Waldorf; expected that. Of
course; went Drepared-very hungry; all
the dainties Of the season on the table;
but nobody ate; wine in abundance; all
drinking; more talk and gossip; wouldn't
eat alone. so starved not polite TO eat
nowadays, I'm told; proper 10 mincc
along, taste d morsel and talk; don't like
it; no more fashionable suppers for me -
Another man, an habitual diner out, re-
marked:
| Invariably eat my dinner at home be
fore going out TO dine. Nobody thinks OF
eating at public dinner nowadays. It Is
the hight of III breeding, At private din
ners, with ladies', he who eats is voted u
bore. He must sip and taste and talk
that's ell that is expected OF him. If
didn't eat at home I'd starve TO death"
Perhaps something in recent years has
altered the belief that the nearest way to
a mans heart is down his throat. Hosts
used to feed their guests 10 put them in
good hrmOr, TO make their visits agree
able. Everybody at the table ate and
drank and all went merrily
Betters dinners than those provided to-
day the world never saw. but they are not
eaten. New York dinners are superior IN
many Respects 70 those OF any other CITY
in the world. The people have money and
are willing TO pay for the best the mar
ket affords, and there II no doubt that the
New York market is unsurpassed. There
are more retinements. too. at an American
entertainment than elsewhere, more va
riety Still, II is well 10 dine at your own
fashionable friend At the latter you are
expected to entertain, not to partake OF
what is set before you Leave that 10
the servants or to the caterer.
Rich folks used to have their own SER
wants prepare the dinner when guests were
expected. but. nowadays everything is left
to the caterer. It is so much less trou-
Bile, you know. Why worry for days ar
ranging dinner for a dozen or two
friends when it can be better done by the
caterer We have plenty Of caterers
teasts and banquets given by the fashion,
able set
When a millionaire wants to give din
ner he sends for his favorite, tells him
the number of guests expected, advances
"a few ideas on the general style of the
entertainment names the day and hour,
and says, Il leave everything to you"
The menu is submitted, and if satisfac-
tory, both as to price and dishes, the
preparation goes on.
The entire dinner is prepared al the es-
adjustment of the caterer after which,
on the day appointed, it is carefully
packed in hampers and boxes and con-
veyed to the house where IL is to be
eaten Most private houses are fitted
with. excellent ranges, and on them the
caterers chefs do the cooking. Positively
nothing is left to the home cook.
The caterer takes entire charge of the
kitchen. He could not be responsible for
the dinner otherwise. The dining room
also is turned over TO him. for the dinner
itself is scarcely more important than the
arrangement of the table or tables.
Certain unwritten rules are followed in
this respect. When there are less than
twenty persons they are usually seated at
one large table, rectangular or round;
but when that number IS exceeded il is
the custom to use small tables, as they
can be better served. Six persons to a
table is the rule. The expansion of so
ciety in New York in the last twelve
years has been very great and the size
of the private dinner has increased enor-
mously. 1t used to be considered a big
thing to have ten or twelve guests, but
twenty to eighty Where receptions, a
few years ago, numbered from 800 to 400
guests, they now number from 800 to 1000
The cost of a dinner depends on the
wines and flowers. An excellent dinner
can be served for, say. twenty persons,
at 80 a plate, the flowers will cost about
u
At Mrs. Astor's famous ball, in the win
ter of 1SS9-90 the finest entertainment she
ever gave, the wines on the supper table
were very select Her Steinberger Cabi-
net cost SIS a bottle.
The dinner to Charles O'Conor was one
of the finest ever given in this city. 1t was
manged by Sam" Ward and cost over $50
plate The menus alone cost Sc apiece.
| The decorations were most elaborate, the
tables being literally covered with rare
flowers. The wines were the costliest that
COuld Some
priceless Madeira was handed around. The
guests numbered fifty.
The dinner to President Andrew John
SON. on the occasion of his visit to New
York in 1866. cost 800 a plate. Leland
Stanford's dinner to Mrs. Grant, about
five years ago, caused a great deal of
talk all over the country. 1t was believed
that the eighteen guests ate from plates
of gold and silver; that the table cloth was
edged with point duchesSe lace; that I'M
der each wine glass there was a napkin
of the same costly fabric, and under each
finger bowl a Japanese mat that cost $50,
and that the terrapin was served in in
dividual silver tureens
A dinner for twelve was given the first
of last month by wealthy bachelor in his
apartments near Forty-secOnd street and
Fifth avenue, at which were served fresh
melons, grown in Spain and brought here
by the French steamers; spring chickens
delicious little fellows, about the size of a
robin (only the breasts were served, each
a morsel fit for the gods); genuine spring
lamb. the spring of 1895, mind you! and
! L
wines were very expensive and in great
variety This dinner cost S4S a plate.
Among the wines was some Schloss Jo-
hannisberger Cabinet Ausfese from the cell
lars of the late Samuel J. Tilden, sold
at auction at 500 a case
Wadsworth lived in an age when plain
living and high thinking were no more, a
fact which he deplored. and Thackeray
spoke of the days of plain thinking and
high living. The world has aways had
its high livers, and always will have
them.
The old feudal lords Of England were
the biggest hogs on earth; their life was
made up Of the chase, gluttony and drunk
enness. The habit of gluttony was handed
down to them. II came directly from Lu-
cullus and his imitators. There is no
doubt that Lucullus, held up before us as
the table saint. ate himself TO death. 1t
was not only the quantity of the feed he
ate. but its quality, as well, that put SO
miserable an end to him. Fielding proved
many years ago that there was a large
amount of fudge about Lucullus. On gem
eral principles he was, from a culinary
point of view. a fraud
A single supper, a which Cicero and
Pompey were guests is said to have cost
him $1,000 denarii (about $500, hut he
probably served his guests a feast Of bar
becued sow. topped off with cherries. He
was excessively vain of his cherries, and