The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-24
The Midnight App.tlte.



II r. Vynne IN the New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.
II New York Is the paradise OF epi-ires,
It can also soon prove its right n q
choose. to the title OF the Klondtke OF
purveyors Some enthusiast has ngurei
that there are az present only two places
where the honest wayfarer may pay more
for honest food and drink than in New
York Namely at Maxims in Paris
where the names Of dishes printed on the
menu have no prices attached and the
mood Of the waiter or the condition o. the
guest and the Arabian desert. where
the guest a. charged naught for his dinner
but g. compelled by etiquette 20 give his
host a horse Maxim's menus are norid
Affairs, artistcaly as well a. commer-
cially. one Of them lies before ne-faif
souvenir Of delicious cooking and Of piracy
supreme. Il is printed In black rel ana
gold. and sports In one corner blond
youth IN a tall hat and sylph IN white
tuile suggestive,y tipping n champaign
glass The blond youth has his hands To
his pockets and HE monOcie focused on
his liver. That also is suggestive.
The prices charged in uptown restau-
rants are regulated. 80 experts agree, not
by the volume 81 patronage received In the
day. but by the extent OF the dinner and
after-theatcr trade. The place that Is
popular after the theater is the place
that fourishes. and when such popular
~ ~ once won the prosperity OF the pro
prietor apparently. has no limit. II he's
been said, whether Justly or unjustly,
that with generous furnishings and equip
ment. the more ruinous his prices the
more popular will Boniface become There
ls ore uptown establishment where the
walters receive s. tips for holding a
table" These things oan be accounted
Tor only on the theory that the vast after
thestsT floating population regards bs
midnight appetite with ices Huecttvn than
the chance 90 spend It's money. lis
method Of ailaying the former and accom-
plishing the latter are equally dramatic
In other DAYS "Deis." "Sherry's" the
Waldorf" were terms supposed 20 convey
the sdea Of hmitless extravagance a.
scenes for a midnight supper. There are
now several establishments in upper
broadway Roasting OF figures on their
bills Of fare calculated 20 put Charlie
Deimonico or LOUIS Sherry 20 the blush,
The thing Is IN no way remarkable eN-
cent that the very pens0ns who pay them
without moan or sigh still cherish the
hallucination that all the extravaganza
Is ia Fifth avenue. and would snudier 90
the idea Of going there. There Is never
a night Of ..c week when these places arc
not crowded and the only wonder D.
where all the money comes from. II the
crowds increase 50 do the prices In
way Il "a perfectly legitimate Mine
host can care only for 80 many. II some
are turned away those who remain must
Psy = thoroughly sound proposition.
A glance at the cards OF three restau.
rsnts All OF them within haif a mile 81
each other. and ala catering TO the after
theater element viii disclose some inter-
esting figures After such q glance II
If easy to see how "a very ordinary sup
per may cost a sum that would keep
family % four persons comfortably for
a week one Is no; inclined 90 grumhie
az s. - for q pheasant, and canvasback
duck. as we all know. Ia cheap AZ 81. \
dozen escalloped oysters at 81 seem 70
approach luxury and thlmbleful OF pre-
pared crab meat az the same price sug-
gests enjoyment for the purveyor. II a
when CHANGING at the LET Of vegetables
ard other necessary concomitants OF
modest feast Shat shuddors permeate the
system aud dreams OF bankruptcy pre-
y.a1 A baked potato for 30 cents. lima
beans for S. caulihower for 20, stuffed
tomatoes the same and asparagus for 81
may not produce nightmare, but they
suggest 70. Coming 10 the salads. one
loses ones head or ones eolvency, as the
case may be. There IL Ittle on the list
for less than Is cents and the dressing
i extra Just as n the mixing Of ones
own salad were not the one oompensa-
ton OF the person paying for II. one
purveyor has invented a dish that he calls
crab meat a Ia Dewey that he claims
IL having what he calls "a great run "
II IS full OF peppers and naturally rather
ros /, costs 81 20 and It's victims never
complain.
en- ,orso, ~ evti ,n,cn. s,arted the
-e,,or, recently thet there was 20 be a