New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
PEDRO,S OF TO-DAY
THE FAMOUS OLD DUANE-sT. RESTAu'
RANT STILL EXISTS.
THE MIDDAY CLUE. LEASING HIS LITTLE PLACE
PRESERVES RrIJGIoUsIY THE TRADITIONS

THE MIDDAY CLUE. LEASING HIS LITTLE PLACE
PRESERVES RELIGIousLY THE TRADITIONS
OF THE OLD MASTER.
Out of the thousand and one quaint eating
places and taverns that dotted "Old New-fork
a dozen wears ago few arc left to-day. and their
number Is gradually dwindling. Pedros Is
one Of the few that has escaped the hand OF
time and still stands with its low-cched rooms.
its "cubby holes" its od-time cupboards and
its squatty entrance precisely as they were Il
quarter of a century ago when the old Spaniard
had Just taken possession. Though its name
is famous the place itself is familiar only TO the
initiated and the bons vivants of New-York for
It lies off the line Of travel, midway between
Broadway and what used to be Chatham-st.
Yet the four little doors along the front. one OF
which leads into the restaurant proper the
others directly from the street into private
rooms have seen stepping ACROSS their lintels
at one time or another the most of the greatest
men America has produced.
In the ordinary course Of affairs. "Pedro's
would have been torn down long before this
and some great establishment have been erected
on its site for Pedro Berrazza is dead. After
thirty years Of Mountaineering, and serving
with his own hands some of the greatest In the
land. always In this tiny, one-stored building'
which was. when he took ii, a paintshop. he dled
two years ago BY some good fortune the lease
fell into the hands of a French Canadian, DE
Laurier who showed his shrewdhess in not
changing the old place. even in the slightest de-
gree He even kept the ancient figured paper.
yellowcd with age, upon the walls, and hence
the old habitues while disconsolate that Pedro
was no more still kept on lunching there as be-
fore.
Thus the picturesque building at No % Duane
ST. marked by the great sign of Pedro Restau-
rant" extending over the entire front, and lesi-
BILE a block away has not changed iota from
the days of the seventies. when such notaDles
as John Kelly. Chester A. Arthur and Roscoe
Conkling used to drop in there for their noon
day meal! There are even some Of the same
walters and on the bill of fare are to be found
all Pedro's old "specialties made in the same
way and reminiscent, at least If they are not
quite good.
That the old building its exterior and its in
terror are to be left unaltered for many years to
come no matter what may be the ravages Of
demolition in this region so to the City Hall,
is now assured Long before PedrO's death the
men who dined there daily had formed themselves
into an association called the Midday Club"
Within the last few months this club has been
Incorporated has taken in many new members.
and has leased the old restaurant with the one
idea of keeping up the traditions of Pedro, OF
preserving the place as he had H. and continuing
the memories that cluster around the old tables
This they will easily be able TO do as the building
is stanch and strong. and the furniture and fit
tngs are sturdy. both calculated TO last another
half century. with
This much change these events have, or course
made, that" Pedros' now for the first time in its
history, is TO longer public eating-hou But
so many guests come in and eat and chat at the
tables that the number of eminent visitors is IN
noWse diminished, rather increased than other
wise. The Midday Club is now nearly two hun
dred strong, a medley OF lawyers, merchants
clergy men and public officials, and what Is pro-
posed is that the list shall within few months
be swollen until it includes all the most prominent
public men OF the country Frank '. 8 oiVer
Assistant District-Attorney, is the CLUBS presl-
dent, and every city department is already repre-
sented in the management.
Besides the fact that the future OF Pc
drOs' is assured, however, that V hich is or
most interest about it has regard 10 its past.
FedrOs repute as an innkeeper was due, not
to his qualities a cook. for he was never
a chef himself, but TO his personal knowledge
of the likings and the palate Of each one of
Ills customers. regular patron never thouSht
of ordering-he would let Pedro suggest and
plan out until finally. after long whispered
consultation with the cook Pedro, the master,
would emerge triumphantly from the little
kitchen, bearing several fragrant, savory
| dishes in his hands.
|
about Pedros cooking, and no pretence or dis
play. Yet several of the dishes he used to serve
| have never been forgotten. and the Midday
| Club having trained their steward and their
cock carefully, will see that the memory Of
these is kept fresh and green. Chicken liver
| omelette and famous maccaroni Pedfo never
| failed TO have. Spanish spaghetti TOO, he al
| ways kept on hand and the taste OF his sweet
| breads still fingers in the mouths OF a good
many veteran NewYorkers. His wine cellar,
! though never extensive, was we'll stocked, ana
| Of ,tshi CT
| lefU, Va de Penas Of capital quality and
! Pommard which 1t would be hard to duplicate.
With such inducements, it is not at all diff
! fcult to see why many celebrities drlfted in
! for a quiet chat and excellent eating famous
| group that is recalled from out of the old days
! was in 1855, when James g. Blaine, Henry
George and Father McGlynn lunched together
and discussed thu issues OF that crucial cam
Daign Other men of prominence who have
eaten and drunk at "Pcdro's' have been Arch
G1shop Corrigan Robert G. Ingei soil William
! r., Grace Abram S. Hewitt, John w. Gon, Car
| dinai McCloskey Hugh j. Giant, Frederick
! Smyth Thomas r. Gilroy and James j. Mar
| tin. of Tammany Hall. Even with these the
| list is INCOMPLETE and fragmentary
| Hardly building is left within the city to-day
that Is more thoroughly Old New-York than this
quaint restaurant Crowded to the doors with
| every table filed. ii can seat barely fifty.
! Kitchen serving rooms and winerOOm and dining
! APARTMENTS are all on the ground floor. The
| kitchen itself is little high roCfed lean to,
built out on Wha. was once narrow aHey-Way
| The main entrance door leads into sort of hall
with a table two in ii, and an old Dutch cup
| board whose glass doors are backed with figured
| chintz Here the cigars are kept Directly back
of the hall is the main dining-room, ornainented
with two old fashioned mirrors and several prints
! Along one side OF this room is another row Of
quaint cupboards. wherein the wine and crockery
Of the old establishment are stored.
| From the windows of this room one looks out
| into the rear Of Italian tenements wash lines full
of garments Of brilliant hues. and catches
glimpses Of NeapOlitan beauties, grim old women
| Of the North of the Boot" and swarthy men
| About the hallway are four small 6ining-roons
each Just big enough to hold a party OF four. AS
has been said three Of these rooms have en-
frances Of their own upon the street
COOL At NiNHlTTiN BEACH.