Middletown transcript., 1896-02-08
CHEFS OF NEW York.
Important Personages In Clubs-valuable
Wives Who Are Cooks.

Important Personages In Clubs-valuabls
Wives Who Are Cooks.
| Cooks were men of high pay and
much distinction in old Greek days,
and they have come to be persons Of
consideration in modern New York.
When man, lunohing at a club the
other day, found particular dish
especially to his taste, he asked,
with some hesitation, whether the
cook could be persuaded to reveal
the secret of its composition. The
head waiter thought he might and
undertook to be the diplomatic in.
termediary between the dining room
and the kitchen. There came in re-
ply an inquiry from the gentleman
below stairs as to whether the gen.
tleman above stairs could read
French, and when this query had
been answered in the affirmative
there came from the neither region
the recipe, neatly written and well
expressed in that language. upon
the note paper of theclub. The club
member sent his respects and ac-
Acknowledgements to the invisible po-
tentate Of the kitchen, and thus an
agreeable incident came to an end.
Nearly all clubs and considerable
hotels have French cooks, male, of
course, though it is usual in small
clubs to employ as second cook
woman. The chef in a large club has
as many assistants as he demands
and is parsonage of the highest
consideration, we'll paid, much de-
ferred to, and. as far as possible, con-
oiliated. Cooks maintain their an
cient reputation for i'll temper, and
the company in the luncheon room
of Fifth avenue club was startled
one day to see some sort of kitchen
underling burst into the apartment,
actively pursued by the raging cook,
butcher knife in hand, bent upon
doing execution upon the frightened
offender. A good club cook costs
from $3.50 to 81, 2oOa year, and there
are some who receive much higher
salaries.
One finds in some of the smaller
French restaurants woman cook,
perhaps the wife of the proprietor,
q tireless creature who labors late
and early and manages by her pecul-
lar gift to confer special reputa-
ton upon the place. A wife such as
that is an unspeakable treasure to
any restaurant keeper. for not only
does she do the work of q skilled
and we'll paid man and keep it up
for twice as many hours as he can
be induced to stay in the kitchen,
,ut, above ali, the cooks that are at
;he same time wives, whatever their
peculiar traits and however i'll their
do not "give notice. The
ervices of such a wife can hardly
'e valued in money, and widowed
indeed is the man that loses her.
A pleasing feature of a restaurant
hat has now, alas, deserted the old
'rench quarter for the new was the
OCCASIONAL presence of the cook, clad
II in white, his paper hat on his
cad, in the dining room among the
uests. He knew some of the regu-
ar patrons, and it was his custom
honor one or another by taking o
eat at his side. and entering into
onversation. The chef in most
lubs, hotels and restaurant is is an
bject of awe to all his fellow serv-
nts, If indeed the cook may, even
= implication, be called servant.
lis moods are watched his moments
rage are INDUCED. The waiter
lat must carry to the kitchen
ish that has been rejected in the
ming room sneaks in with fear and
embling and endeavors to propiti-
q him whose art has been called in
1estion. The cook comes in for q
rye share of the Christmas box at
'ery club. Though he may be un-
1own by sight to any member Of
70 club, and stranger even to the
,use committee, he is known by
8 deeds, and he stands firmly for
his rights and privileges. To dis
iss so great a man is a duty that
" care to take upon themselves,
ID to admonish him is the most z
licate and diplomatio of tasks
sw York Sun.