Evening star., 1896-10-31
CHEAP LUNCH ROOMS
A Feature Of the City That Favora-
bly, Impressed a Visitor.
WHAT FIFTEEN CENTS WILL BUY
Use of Some Dining Rooms as
. .# Club Houses.
CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE

mo city that I have ever visited" said
the man about town to Star reporter, as
he gazed reflectiveiy through the windows
Of well-known restaurant. compares
with Washington in its wealth of really
cheap and wholesome lunch rooms"
ihis sort OF thing he continued, indi
eating the room about him, "can Be found
everywhere. for good cooks are native to
every cline, and from New Yorks most
famous restaurant en- 9Th avenue to the
long, low dining room with sanded floor in
which are served the marvellous dinners of
New orleans most noted chef the same re-
suit is obtained where one can pay for it
we'll. But for cheap, wholesome fare Wash
ington is unexcelled ~. g, 49,. .
NOT long ago. he went on warming to
ms subject, at luncheon time 1 happened
to pass an unobtrusive building The sign,
Try Our Fifteen-Cent Lunch attracted my
curiosity, and l went in. Perhaps l was un-
usually hungry, and that may partially ex
plain my enjoyment of the meal that fol-
lowed. yet you know pride myself on be-
ing judge of good plain cooking, and few
gourmetS are that. I. .
Il had a weA-navored SOUP in rather
thlck bowl, to be sure, but china breaks
easily and profits at such places are small
Then came my choice O. roast mutton or
steWed beef, two vegetables, and tea, cof-
lee or milk. 1 took the mutton. which
this was served sliced raw tomatoes and
potato salad. i looked askance at the DO.
tato salad, suspecting cotton seed Oil, but
1t was made with olive Oil. and the onions
were present in exactly the right quantity.
The coffee was fair, and the apple pie with
Wnlch l. finished my repast proved a pleas
ant surprise. 1t ives not only good but
tasted as my granamother's apple pie Gid
state. ..--t- 81. -.
When I discovered that the little
pitcher 10y my coffee cup contained very
passable cream and completed the Illusion
pic the result was so satisfactory that I
ordered more This brought tho price
OF my substantial meal up to 20 cents, ard
! gave the hard-worked waiter a tip In
covery of new purusit-that of hunting
substantial lunches at mail prices.
Average Cost Of IA LuncheQn.
Since then 1 have eaten no luncheon
which has cost me more than 3T tefits. until
you delighted me by appearing In town
today" he said, with bow to The soldier
ly looking man opposite. Twenty cents
has been my average expenditure for a
midday meal. and l nave learned many
thugs about dining and lunching cheaply
and well. For iNstancs; if a man Is. faH~,
his luncheon quite early. GO about noon
aht the lfnen,i though COARSE will be spot.
less. Later an army@of hungry diners
viii have rendered 1T unirvi:ins. and where
ing linen included must be kept down to a
minimum. aJ' al t. Z. -s...-
nrThen. too,ndiirerentr places are cele-
brated for different disnes. just as in high
where for 10 cents a turkey; sandwich is
served which would make q formidable
rival to a famous asa ndWich served at your
club" The soldierly looking man smiled.
ia COY inlrc nrin nrirN nf hi,-
particular sandwich. known in England.
as well as in Washington, for its super 1
iority to all otnerse but lonked interested
as his companion proceeded:
"The sandwich in question, like that OF
your chef, is made OF triangular pieces
of toasted bread. and when daintily cut
turkey, smoking hot, is put between the
slices and two of these tciangles, forming
a square, are set before you on plate
garnished with cold slaw. with German
dressing, you forget that your surround
ings are meager and bare compared with
the luXurousness of your ordinary dining
room, ard you quite lose yourself in ad-
miration of culinary skill, and enjoyment
of its result, as every true man does,
wherever he finds 1t.
=, ,,, Used az Club. az,;,co ', \
I'm one of the most satisfactory of the
cheap Restaurants" he continued reflective
fy, finding his auditor still attentive; "its'1
furnishings are especially plain, and it
makes no pretensions to table cloths. But
it of all those have tried is the most Co.'S
This dining room seems to be a 1
sort of club to many of the men who take
their meals there When they come in they |
go to the counter and ask for their mall 4
and If l pass there morning or evening l
see them sitting there, quietly reading their |
papers. as you might do in your own club !
THE special feature of the lunch at this |
place is the coffee, which is excellent, and
served arbitrarily with the milk already in |
it, in mugs. The pancakes, too. are de- |
licious. Indeed. everything is well cooked
and good of it's kind, though the variety to |
choose from is. not large. The prices are |
most reasonable, and man would have to |
order q large part of the bill of fare to |
have his meal amount to much more than |
fifty cents .'-rr- .-.~
Another pleasant feature of these very
priced lunch rooms ia the |
accorded to women. This is espe- |