Milford chronicle., 1895-06-21
EATING AND EATERS.
IT IS NOT GOOD FORM TO DO MORE
THAN TASTE AND SIP.

II Invited to Smart Dinner, Dine Before
You Go-Bow Dinners and Banquets Of
Fabulous Cost Are Got Up and Served BY
Caterers.
An American author and musician
told a queer little story the other day
that ran like this;
Went to the opera; sat in box
with two ladies and three men; social
leaders; very swell; felt ont of place
heard nothing but talk and chatter
missed all the singing and music; after
the opera, supper at the Waldorf; ex-
pected that, Of course; went prepared
very hungry; all the dainties of the sea-
son on the table, hut 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 to mince along, taste
a morsel and talk; don't like it; no
more fashionable suppers for mep'
Another man, an habitual diner out,
remarked:
Il invariably eat my dinner at home
before going out to dine. Nobody thinks
of eating at public dinner nowadays
It is the height of i'll breedingl At pri-
vate dinners with ladies he who eats
is voted a bore He must sip and taste
and talk; that's all 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 man s heart is down his throat
Hosts used to feed their guests to put
them in good humor, to make their Wis
its agreeable. Everybody at the table
ate and drank and all went merrily.
Better dinners than those provided
today the world never saw, but they are
not eaten. New York dinners are supe-
rior in many respects to those of any
other city in the world. The people have
money and. are willing to pay for the
best the market affords, and there is no |
doubt that the New York market is I'M |
surpassed. There are more refinements, /
too at an American entertainment than |
elsewhere, more variety. Still it is we'll
to dine at your own table before going
to the house of fashionable friend At
the latter you are expected to entertain,
not to partake Of what is set before you.
Leave that to the servants or to the ca
terer. Rich folk used to have their own
prepare the dinner when guests
were expected, but nowadays every
thing is left to the caterer. 1t is SO
much less trouble, You know. Why
worry for days arranging dinner for a
dozen or two of ones friends when it
Fan be better done by the caterer? We
nave plenty Of caterers Some have i
yrown rich and proud on the feasts and
given by the fashionable set.
When millionaire wants to give a
Inner he sends for his favorite, tells
lim the number of guests expected, adj
-ances a few ideas on the general style
f the entertainment, names the day
nd hour, and says, Il leave everything
o you. The menu is submitted, and,
satisfactory, both as to price and dish h
$, the preparation goes on. :,
The entire dinner is prepared at the :,
of the caterer, after =
rhich, ON the day appointed, it is care !,
lily packed in hampers and boxes and a
lnyeyed to the house where it is to be :,
lten. Most private houses are fitted :,
18th excellent ranges, and on them the
lterer's chefs do the cooking. Positive -
nothing is left to the home cook.
The caterer takes. entire charge Of the +.
itchen. Hecould not be responsible for 80 -,
70 dinner otherwise. The dining room of
so is turned over to him, for the din -, -
+ itself is scarcely more important ~
an the arrangement of the table or ia -
es. -
Certain unwritten rules are followed -.
this respect. When there are less than r.
persons they are usually seated at ~
e large table, rectangular or round; +b
t when that number is exceeded it is 10
, custom to use. small tables, as they r..
q be better served. Six persons to a ~,
lie is the rule. The expansion of So ~,
ty in New York in the last ~ years vi
) been very great, and the size Of the las
vate dinner has increased enormously. -
used to be considered big thing to a.
re 10 or IL guests, but now it is COM a.,
n enough to have from 90 to 80. w
ere receptions few years ago num- mo
ed from 300 to 400 guests, they now at
nber from GOO. to 1 900. oos
The cost of dinner depends on the 80 80
les and flowers. An excellent dinner -
be served for, say, 20 persons at $40 70
late, the flowers will cost about $15 No,
the wines from 81 to $l5 a head. a,,5
Mrs. AstOr s famous ball, in the win 49, 49,
Of 1889-90, the finest entertainment y
ever gave, the wines ON the supper T
g were very select Her Steinberger sti-,
met cost $15 bottle. r 1o,l
he dinner to Charles O'Conor was 90 20,
of the finest ever given in this city. Nh
'as managed by Sam Ward and cost stii1
$50 plate. The menus alone cost ~
piece. The decorations were most No,
crate, the tables being literally Gov - -
with rare flowers. The wines were -
,ostliest that could be had. Some of 80
Wards priceless Madeira was -
led around. The guests numbered 90. t,i.
lie dinner to President Andrew John sa;5
IN the occasion of his visit to New 49, go
(, in 1866, cost 800 plate Leland Sa+o
ford's dinner to Mrs. Grant, about
years ago, caused a great deal Of
all over the country. It was. be- On
d that the 8guests ate from plates inter-
III and silver. that tbe tablac1otl, ess.
aload Wifi ,oin+ ,l,,.i,ass 1aSo. hours
80, aaa,, - - - she g
..A'uS VI 80 WING i'.Ss .neIe was Z had
III ot ene same costly IaDric' ana she c
I each finger bowl a Japanese mat ton Z
cost 500, and that the terrapin ''booz
served in individual silver tureens. self
W York Press great
"W
Realism. said S
thor-WeU. professor. how do Won "W