Smyrna times., 1895-02-20
DINNERS IN FRISCO.
CURIOUS COSMOPOLITAN REsrAu.
RANTS ON THE COAST.

4 One May Dine In the Manner of a Difs.r
ent Country Every Night In the Weel,
! A Dirty italian Restaurant on the wate,
/ Front That Is Very Popular.
! One of the features of oosmonolit.,
san Francisco is it's restaurants. Ever1
!orelgn colony boasts of a place where
lts native cooking can be had, and ad.
venturous San Franoiscans who carxa r.
look these places up can dine in the
manner Of a different country every
night in the week. If an elaborate Chi.
nese dinner, with its numberless imnos.
slble courses, each accompanied Inv
sweetmeats, proves unattractive, a Ha-
Wallan dinner, with poi and salted fish.
can be had by walking a few blocks
For those who like highly spiced din
ners there are the italian and Spanish
restaurants to choose from, and for those
with small appetites who look for nov
city IN service, there are the Turkish
restaurants, with their unpronounceable
dishes and delicious coffee.
The most popular of the foreign res
taurants are the Italian. There are sew
eral Of these scattered about the Latin
quarter which are much frequented by
San Franclscans on account of the excel
lenco of the cooking. Most of them are
dirty, very dirty, as to floors and walls.
and the Italians are not oversqueamish
regarding the table linen. When party
OF Americans enter, however, there is a
general shuttle among tho walters to se-
cure the service Of the table and the
prospective tip. The question of prece-
dence being settled, the wine stained
tableoloth is whisked off and replaced by
one not always newly laundered or else
suspiciously damp.
Ihese restaurants are rarely on the
main streets and have to be approached
through dark alleys. One situated be-
hind the county Jail occupies the back
room OF small italian grocery store.
In going there one is reminded of dark
deeds and sharp stilettos, but the dim
ner is worth the journey. The chef Of
TINS place is famous for cooking Italia
RIM, paste made by himself and cut
III strips and cooked with sauce made |
OF tomatoes, spices and mushrooms
IL Is extremely rich and very peppery.
but all Italian dishes are strongly dashed |
with chilli peppers.
The dinner is attended with great |
ceremony. A bottle Of their sour cIaret
Is served with each dinner. Every Ital.
ian drinks about two quarts of it with
ms dinner, so the bottle supply some
times runs short. In this event the
waiter goes to the bar, fills an emptv
Dottle from demijohn, drives in a cork.
and then carries the bottle to the table
where it is needed, sometimes four feet
from the bar, and impressivelv produo-
ing his corkscrew draws the cork as
carefully as though he were handling the
lnest burgundy. His demeanor is so Sc
'lous throughout the performance that
one dare not look amused.
A very popular restaurant is Baz.
-uro's, which is situated near the water
ront. This is greatly patronized bv the
Italian fishermen, who file in after their
lays work, still wearing their pum
'oots and smelling strongly Of their
raft. 1t is also frequented bv the Ttal-
an vegetable gardeners. who drive in
rom the outskirts Of town, and after dis
oslng OF their stock stop to dine. When
ne place is reasonably we'll filled. there
babel OF voices. They arc all talk
lg at once, and out Of the confusion !
ae word ''scudi is distinguished above
II others. 9
This means money, which the nro.
rletor says, with a shrug, they talk
bout all the time, all the time. )" The
bring the best of their davis
'tch here, and the gardeners offer their
lolcest vegetables. The chef. whose =
ltchen is back of the dining tables and y
IuII view OF the room, is a merry fell .
w, and between his juggling feats, toss. ?
g his pan into the air to turn the coolr- .
g tish or meat exchanges Vossin and u
sIs with the diners This place is -
'pt comparatively clean. The floor ia p
Vered with sawdqst and the ceiling %
STONED with gaudy oolored paper cu5
1anclful designs Two parrots add to
Q general din, and all sorts and con. !.
lions OF cats prowl around the floor ', ',
Inc restaurant is conducted nv two o
others, Cne of whom waits ON tablo "
llIe the other attends bar and looks - -
ter the cash receipts Every Italian - -
ler dlnlng stops at the bar for a chat ~
u drink. Instead of a liquor. the ~
81 pours generous glasses of Claret for ." g
nseif and his guests, and these are ~
'edlly tossed off. A casual visitor. aft
witnessing this ceremony about 95 e
nes IN quick succession, is ant to PROV mI ~,
rVous about the health of the host. T.
ne appears none the worse for his -
lVlVlaIlty at the end of the evening a. -
0 younger brother sometimes relieves ", 70,
pFotner at the bar. He is quite as 5o
ipltable, and his inYariable drink be-. ~, ~
absinthe and seltzer his case seems ~
N more alarming aI'
This restaurant, at 1880 in the even. y
, when dinner is in full swing. pre- 90, 30,
Us an odd sight, the Italians sitting ~.
and the tables, most of them with -.
IT mats on, gestioplating and talking -" 49,
ltedly across the room, while thew ~
the spaghetti round their forks and su s-u
terously transfer it in yard lengths e"1
their mouths. A butcher, with all -
marks of his trade about him. ooou. .-e
a tablo with the policeman ON the oaI
T. VINO gets the best service Of alli a 80
men about town, who have heard of os
chefs fame, and forget the unsavorv na,. D'r
ing company in their enjoyment Of snd
plates. and often table or two taken - -
young society girls with their chap bot, T,
and escorts. The girls consider n r.,
ler at Bazzuro's a tremendous lark. 80,
ne Americans do not venture ON the
ct SO generously served with the din
A flask Of Chianti is ordered in its
d. and the proprietor always proffers AMI,
empty flask to the youngest member sh ssbh
ne party as a souvenir. San Fran a. a.
0 Letter Vno'