Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29
EXPENSIVE EATING
What a Dinner May Cost When Money
is No Object.
HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A PLATE
But Only a Small Portion Would
Go for Food.
REST IN DECO GRAFTON
for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening STAR
The holiday dinner has become at length
one of the multifarious terrors of the rich.
1t is not the question of the poor, but the
providing of dinner which will fully ac-
cord with the worlds estimate of ones
station in society. In short, how to get up
the very most expensive dinner has become
serious question. The old. much planned,
much-devised Cheapest dinner is, after
all, only a question of quantity, and the ad-
herence to d few essentials in the matter
OF custom, but the most expensive dinner
requires a generalship that mere money
may not always command Each year adds
to the difficulties of the situation, since
II becomes part of the constantly rising
succession of tide marks. This, in fact, is
the real question-how to surpass all pre-
V.ous efforts. And this year will be nota-
Bile, because several well-known socie,y
men and women already striving to set
tie the question once and for all by ordering
the most expensive holiday dinner that can
possibly be gotten up
The arrangement of one or two of these,
notable feastS has been left to the discre-
ton of Oscar famous over the country as
the head waiter of New York's Waldorf
Astoria: Oscar, who, on his tips" runs his
own steam yacht and owns a fine summer
place. Each spread will cost many thous-
ards of dollars, and each has required many
weeks, If not months. of hard work. Oscar
mas employed corps of designers to
range the decorations. and his agents are
searching the hothouses of this and other
countries to obtain certain out-of-se
fruit which he desires to have present
oscar has advanced the calling of the
caterer to such a pass that one hesitates
between calling it an art or science but
his system is far-reaching enough to en-
able him to bring together many widely
GC q - tod Int IT,, h.
production. So, knowing that sooner or
later bona fide order of the kind will be
given him. he was asked the other day to
write out the menu for the most expensive
dinner he could possibly get up.
Where Money Is No Object.
with unlimited capital at my command
said he. Il would still have to depend on
my resources in producing the most ex-
pensive dinner. All the money In New
York would not produce strawberries in
January unless knew where to find them
Also 1 might find them in one place during
one season and miles away during the next
There are also matters Of taste to be con-
sidered and matters of reason. 1t would
be absurd and out Of place to have on our
holiday tables eatables which properly be-
long only to the tropics and are not eaten
in the United States even In summer.
In the matter Of food alone the most
SHPSiiSiNC "Uuiu ilOt run as NlSn IN
price as you might suppose at first thought
In any dinner in which common sense Is
taken into account the food alone would not
cost more than $50 cover. That Is, with
out wine. decorations or attendance. Now,
you may buy new wine a almost any price,
depending on the reputation Of the winners,
but you may not always buy old wine. The
connoisseur often values his dusty bottles
more highly than gold, and will on no &C
count surrender them. Therein diplomacy
and opportunity must come to procure what
mere money can not buy. The matter of
attendance Is a matter of taste You could
have waiter for each guest If necessary
but 1t would not be In good taste. But in
decorations you could go to an almost I'M
limited extent.
A Pretty Expensive Meal.
"a short time ago I assembled dinner
Of eighteen covers. which cost in the ag-
gregate s13 600 that is over S72o a cover
1t was, and still is, the high water mark
in the matter of dinners. In order to go
higher I should simply have to take each
course and each decoration and try to sup
plement 1t by some more expensive item
1t is. after all, the decorations that cost so
much in these dinners.
'In the $4,000 affair decorated the room
with natural grape arbor, through viii,
the guests walked and from which they
plucked the punches. Then there was a
fountain with fish in it. which In itself was
ing and carpentry work. The flowers were
all out Of season. and yet many plants
were shown growing in the native pot. 1t
was these decorations that cost so much
In the most expensive dinner l might have
rare Japanese palms or dwarf trees bear
Ing fruit, such as cherries. 1 could send
to the orient and import al colossal ex-
pense any Of the frut-bearing trees that
grow there. Dwarf pears apples and other
fruit are sometimes brought to this coun-
try. and could have them growing on the
table, the dining room would be arrang-
ed as garden in which birds would sing
plants and trees would grow. ripping cas-
cades would fall. The effect of sunlight
or moonlight could be produced electrical
ly; we might make summer, obivious to a
holiday storm without. Oh, yes. all of
these things could be produced at a cost
as high as you please. Such dinner would
require months Of preparation and might
cost $4,000: maybe more, maybe less-it
CORRE