The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
DINING
More OF an Art Than Ever-The Progress That
HAS Been Made.

From the Caterer Monthly.
Dining now is very different from what 1t was
even ten years ago. Public dinners of that peri-
cd usually began not earlier than o Z, NJ. and
with numerous lengthy toasts preceded by a
dinner Of many courses, the poor diner never
got home before . or 3 o'clock the next morning.
The food ser:ed was rich. highly seasoned,
and difficult to digest. and the menu, If it was
a swell one, had on it from seven to ten wines.
No wonder that an author of that period wrote.
Public dinners annually kill more people than
do the wars"
Nowadays important social or public dinners
begin not later than z p. NJ. and at l A. NJ. Mt
the latest the affair is over. Tho menu has less
courses and as a rule not more than three or
four wines. a sherry or sauterne, n claret and
champagne arc served. What I would con.
slider a very appropriate menu for this season
of the year would consist of the following
dishes:
Cherry Stone Oysters.
Chicken Consomme a la Royale.
Terrapin. Baltimore style.
Saddle English Mutton.
Roast Potatoes. Brussels Sprouts.
Red Head or Canvasback Duck.
Fried Hominy with q Celery Salad Mayonnalse.
Camembnrt Cheese.
Cafe.
= With the.oysters and soup I would give a
| s%auterne. with the terrapin madeira, and then
| serve champagne for the rest of the meal.
a recent English custom. said to have been
one wine only served all through the dinner.
generally champagne, does not meet with much
The advantages of a meal of this description
Is that as the diner looks over the bill of fare he
does not mentally groan and say to himself,
ward TO each succeeding course and after he has
partaken, of 1t will feel no bad results from the
same and can truly say, "Fates do your worst;
Perhaps one q the principal reasons for pub,
fact that they We're usually given in the dining
rooms Of hotels and restaurants; and they could
not BIO served until the regular dinner was out
OF the way. Nowadays our leading hotels and
restaurants have private dining rooms that are
reserved almost exclusively for banqueis and
have extra service for such affairs and several
dinners may be going on at the same time
the diners being interfered with or kept waiting
This is in truth a day of public dining. More
hotels, clubs, and restaurants. People have
found that II is so much easier for us TO take
them off their hands, thus avoiding the upset
ting OF their own houses and the confusion that
WSene %sSei thsy give Hr,Ss q q, din .nerr " Tbe 9 easier 4on
make it for the public to give dinners the better
i is for the catering profession, At the same
laid the golden egg DO careful not to serve the
public with dinners that make the guests feel
in the future. Be not satisfied to give such
and such a number of courses, but take care
feels better for having partaken OF Them.
tn so Tier ssdrs a Tot when N. ! w Ysr connected ms Sd,v with
ringing q bell 70 announce that dinner was ready.
dining room; and by the, dining room was
empty and the doors were closed. The dinner
late he began his dinner with whatever course
was being served. Dinner at this hotel consisted
iSs a , sSaP' 4, f,SS oiG Fsleye, and cRdd three ei entrees put on
bles. a sweet, fruit. cheese, crackers. and coffee.
OF proprietor Charles II. Kerner. who was for
many years superintendent and steward of the
means would order II left to themselves. That
the above pin OF fare was what the people want
s which EiS w Sssh Sstro Sg .ao by su esbiic o. aa ihS so aed
foreign, diplomats who had learned that at the
Clarendon they could get a good square meal
On this same line the table d'h6te dinners
have made their great success. They consist of
hungry man without tempting him to eat more
than is good for him.
American plan hotels to cut down the number
OF courses, TO give less dishes than ever; but
what they take of in quantity they put on in
Again. the days, Of those big pieces n~.ontees.
which men thought to be the inseparable ad.
jnncts of every dinner OF Importance, the days
OF heavy draDeries and the like have gone by.
Flowers have taken the place OF the pieces
mOntees. and light airy draperies have succeeded
the heavy ones. The whole aspect of things
has, changed. The, dinners, instead Of being
dull hnd solemn, and being followed next day by
are far moro refined and the participant feels
that he has had @ good time and is the better
IL be a public dinner, are constantly growing
shorter. Music OftentiBes accompanies the
~. enjoyment and not q headache In the morn
nSs j. SrEMRE u.