The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-05-29

You Go-How Dinners and Banquets of
Fabulous Cost Are Got Up and'served by
Caterers.
An American author and musician
told q queer little story the other day
that ran like this:
event to the opera; sat in box
with two ladies and three men; social
leaders; very swell; felt out Of place;
heard nothing but talk and chatter;
missed all the singing and music; after
tho opera, supper at the Waldorf; ex-
pected that of course; went prepared
very hungry; all the dainties Of the sen
son ON the table, but nobody ate; wine
In abundance, all drinking; more talk
md gossip wouldn't eat alone, so
starved not polite to cat nowadays,
I'm told; proper to mince along, taste
q morsel and talk; don't like it; no
more fashionable suppers for mel'
Another man, an habitual diner out,
remarked:
"I invariably cat my dinner at homo
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 bore. He must sip and taste
and talk; that's all that is expected of
him. IF didn It cat Mt home I'd starve
to death.
Perhaps something In recent years
has altered the belief that the nearest
way to q man s heart is down his throat.
Hosts used to feed their guests to put
them In good humor, to mako their Wis.,
it's agreeable. Everybody at tho table
ate and drank and all went merrily.
Better dinners than those provided
today the world never saw, but they are
not eaton New York dinners are supe-
rior in many respects to those of any
other city in tho world. Tho people have
money and arc willing to pay for the
best the market affords, and there is no
doubt that the New York market is UNI
surpassed. There are moro 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 tho servants or to the ca
terror. Rich folk used to have their own
servants prepare tho 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 n
dozen or two of ones friends when it
can be better done by the caterer? We
have plenty of caterers Some have
grown rich and proud ON the feasts and
banquets given by the fashionable set.
When millionaire wants to give n
dinner he sends for his favorite, tolls
him the number of guests expected, adj
vances few ideas ON the general style
of tho entertainment, names the day
and hour, and says, 81 leave everything
to YOU Tho menu il submitted, and
IL satisfactory, both as to price and dish
es, the preparation goes ON.
Tho entire dinner is prepared at the
establishment of the caterer, after
which, on tho day appointed, it is care
fully packed in hampers and boxes and
conveyed to the house where it is to be
eaten Most private houses arc fitted
with excellent ranges, and ON them the
caterers chefs do tho cooking Positive
ly nothing is left to the homo cook
Tho caterer takes entire charge of the
kitchen Hocould not be responsible for
tho dinner otherwise. The dining room
also Is turned over to him, for tho din
ner itself is scarcely moro important
than tho arrangement of the table or ia
bles
Certain unwritten rules arc followed
In this respect. When there arc less than
30 persons they are usually seated at
one large table, rectangular or round;
but when that number Is exceeded it is
the custom to use small tables, as they
can be better served Six persons to
table Is the rule. Tho expansion of So
ciety in New York in the last - years
has been very great, and the size of the
private dinner has increased enormously.
1t used to be considered big thing to
have 10 or IL guests, but now it is COM
mon enough to have from 30 to So
Where receptions few years ago num-
bered from 800 to 400 guests, they now
number from coo to 1000.
Tho cost of dinner depends ON the
wines and flowers. An excellent dinner
can DO served for, say, 90 persons at $40
q plate, tho flowers will cost about $lb
and tho wines from 81 to $15 head
At Mrs. Astor 3 famous ball, in the Win
ter of 10000, tho finest entertainment
she ever gave, the wines ON tho supper
table were very select. Her Steinberger
Cabinet cost $15 bottle.
The dinner to Charles O'Conor was
one of tho finest over given in this city
1t was managed by Sam Ward and cost
over $50 plate. The menus alone cost
SO apiece. Tho decorations were most
elaborate, tho tables being literally COW
cred with raro flowers. The wines were
the costliest that could BIO had. Some of
Sam Wards priceless Madeira was
handed around The guests numbered 30.
The dinner to President Andrew John
son ON tho occasion of his visit to Now
York, In 1866, cost 500 plate. Leland
Stanford's dinner to Mrs. Grant, about
five years ago, caused a great deal of
talk all over tho country. 1t was be-
heved that the Is guests ate from plates
Of gold and silver; that the tablecloth
was edged with point duchess lace;
that under each wineglass there was
napkin of the Same costly fabric, and
under each flngor bowl Japanese mat
that cost $50, and that the terrapin
were served i'll individual silver tureens.
Now York Press.
MIR. vaux Did Dance with Her.