The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-26
NEW YoRK's ODD RESTAURANTS.
beef steak Dungeons the Newest
Thing In Batting Houses.

AN4h ANt NtN ANlA sun
While New Workers are confirmed diners
out. ana there are more restaurants Ia
town IN proportion TO population than IN
any other city in the world. there is a
surprising lack OF charm or novelty in the
arrangements OF che average dinins
place A very few are modelled on a new
plan or In imitation OF some foreign res
taurant and these are invariably widely
advertised and well patronized. but the
usual type seems 20 be either the staid
severity OF the fashionable hotel dining
room or eelluiotd palm garden or else the
gliiterinK mirror-lined walls OF the Broad
way chop houses Few OF the popular
places have spccialties Of any particular
scTt. The one reE,auratcur who used 10
b. famous for his service OF nsh has
ceased 20 cater 20 public trade. and the
sameness Of the menus at tho hotels is
marked
20 the average New Yorker goes proUN
ing about for something new, and when
he finds Hungarian dinner IN a cellar
or beefsteak dinner on a roof he gives
Il hts generous favor and spreads It's fame
far and vide. The French and Italian eat
Ing places scattered so plentlfully
throughout the city are filed each night.
not so much owing to the excellence OF
the viands es 20 the informallty Of ar
rangement that gives a certain picture
sequences 10 them all.
Despite the American reputation for
originality and clever business instincts.
Americans fail 10 have any place that
even compares family with the English
inns that have been immortalized IN book s
the latter-day Richmond dinners. which
are still such a feature q holiday life
with Londoners. where fashion conEre
gates Informally, and where the fare ana
company continue TO increase In quality
Il is true that attempts are made nov
ana then toward establishing places Of tho
sort. but they deteriorate TO the common
place very soon or are abandoned.
Several years ago one restaurant deco
rated itS rooms with college colors and
with the eIabisms Of the different sport s
aud this feature made the place Immense
~ popular for a time. especially with the
college contingent. Now there ere 20
many Of these decorations IN restaurants
that they have grown tiresome
70 look upon. Another down.
town place adopted tho NJ.
ure Of = cat a. q symbol. using Il on
dishes and bills OF fare and on the wallis
OF the dininE-room In imitation OF a ia
nous Paris eating place. and this grew
90 be a popular resort with the Bohemia n
element
The music OF gypsy bands has made
several Hungarian resorts well known q
those who are not particular rs 30 what
they eat 80 long az they hear good music
during the rePast with the growth OF
tho new gaudy chophouse the Old fash
Toned chonhouse has almost completely
disappeared and in place OF the solid
woods and good paintings that used 10 be
the pride Of the proprietor OF the old-timo
places. there is to-day a cheap EFFORT at
display
one Of the newest departures IN the
way Of restaurants - the beefsteak dun
geon, which f. a part Of several OF tho
up-to-date eating places. The idea orgi-
mated a few years ago With a restau.
rateur. who opened one OF these places
with rickety boxes and kegs as tables.
few dishes and a general absence Of or
nsmentation. Absolute simplicity was che
rule. and the servant was summoned by
an old rusty COW bell suspended from the
ceiling Beefsteak. bread and butter and
ale =aa bee. we're the only fare served
They we're all OF excellent quality and
the place became a great resort tot sight
eeers and was engaged for many supper
parties,
A Fifth avenue restaurant keeper In
troduced a decided novelty in the person
OF an Indian cook who prepares and
serves curried dishes in a chahnE-diEn.
The man wears his native surban Of silk
and a suit Of spotlsss linen and his cook
Ing IL as faultlcss Is his manner Of soTv-
ing. lie was employed IN the same ca
pacity in London hotel before coming
20 New York and served all the foreign
notAhilities. There probably he acquired
his manner OF waiting. which Is the very
ideal OF correct service.
Another novelty In the was OF restau-
rants IL found In the basement OF an up
town residence. which has been turned
into an old-fashioned living-room with
broad settees covered with Powered Gre
ton. The tables and seats. including two
roomy Old rockers. ere placed irregular
~, ard there are two enormous nreplaces
where logs are kept burning. fllinE the
room with the peculiar fragrance OF burn
ing pine. The cook is a Southern NANNY.
typical In appearance and In cooking. and
Johnny cake and corn fritters are fea.
tures Of the Southern dinner. which ..
served here with homemade preserves
aud other good things.