The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26
THEY DINE AT RESTAURANTS.
One Eject of Coal Prices On New
York Family Life.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
Coal, or, rather the scarcity OF II, has
disrupted the home The cook is gone the
kitchen range is cold and Pepys and his
wife now dine at restaurant The ping
pong net is now the only logical compile
ment of the dining room table.
John and l." said Mrs. Pepys, 'have
figured it all out. Last month, what with
the $40 for coal and Mary's wages, the ex-
penses of the commissary department of
the household amounted to nearly $50. 1
have discovered that Donnelly's, around
the corner, has a chef who is much more
adept at his art than Mary ever was, and
that the prices are very reasonable. Be-
sides this there are other advantages. In
the first place they have an excellent string
orchestra, they offer also more varied
choice OF dishes than did our own partic-
ular menu, the oysters are opened by an
artist with special instruments. and not
with a hammer and kitchen knife, as ours
used to be, and we can have poInmes ris-
soles la Soubise with our steak. The
only objection which John has been able
to find is that he can't dine in his Slip
pers. Our bill for last week. for six din
ners for two, was $3.50 We have made
Il special arrangement WITH the man. 4 OF
81 we have oysters, soup hors doeuvre,
| fish, entree, roast, salad and dessert. IT
| isn't absolutely table d'hote, for we choose
| our dishes as our own individual fancy
dictates In that way we shall be able to
| dine for SIS a month at the utmost. The
rest of our cuisine is done by me, without
the assistance of cook or coal. have
| samovar and chafing dish, and it's won
| derful the things one can do with a sam
avor and a chatting dish"
The restaurants which are located in the
fio1 6icfr riots frxvtV
| appreciable increase in patronage. The
| eating establishments on Columbus avenue
| between Seventy-second street and Eighty
| sixth street are thronged nightly. In one
| of these a wonderfully tactful head waiter
| takes charge of those patrons who arrive
when all the tables are occupied. His is
the task OF Keeping them In patience until
| a vacancy occurs. He is genuine waiter,
one of those who look upon reticence as
mark of gentility and whom one regrets
not to see welding the razor in some ton
serial emporium" The guiding principle
| of his life appears to be not only nil ad-
mirari. but also nil deere and his mono
syllables signify great deal. His Yes
| Is always interrogative, encouraging you to
| further observations: his NO rather indi-
| Gates surprise and may betoken either the
extreme freshness of virgin mind or a
| hidden vein OF satire which he is too well
| bred to reveal. He suavely engages you to
| wait Tor the very next vacant table and
ushers you into waiting room, where he
| Will leave you in company with some twen-
~ would-be diners, to every one of whom
| the very next vacant table" has also been
pledged. That the present price of coal,
| penditure of from SIS to $40 is responsible
for the extraordinary popularity which
these restaurants at present enjoy cannot
| be gainsaid.
The proprietor of one of these establish
ments on upper Broadway where a 6O-cent
table d'hote Is served declared that his
the 1st of September. 1.-The present price
of COAL" said he, renders domestic cook
ing very expensive. A young married
couple living in this part of town and cook
ing at home would be at an expense of
from SIS to 800 a month. By taking their
meals at The restaurant they effect saw
ing OF *e or $4O. l have number of Gus
toners who pay me by the month and who
have permanently reserved tables. They
usually take breakfast and dinner for
which iS they pay !2S month. have more
A restaurateur in the seventies who
caters to prosperous CLIENTELE, and whose
rush hour has been that Immediately fol-
lowing the closing of the theaters, de-
clared that he was now kept busy both
before and after the play. 1.-THE ten.
dency," said he, lis to live more and more
In the restaurants. In my case, I do not
believe that the coal famine has very much
TO do with it, as my patrons can afford the
increase in the cost of living resulting from
1t. The reason is, to my mind. that do
nestle cooking has deteriorated in the
ratio that restaurant cooking has i'm
proved and that New Workers, being un
4
can enjoy good cooking. How many so
called cooks can concoct an orthodox sauc,
tratare, or stew a chicken a la Marengo
Very few, indeed. For the majority O.
them civet of hare is a mystery, and 6
PURGE a la Creci an impossibility. Sun
days roast, Mondays cold, Tuesday
hash, Wednesdays mince and Thursday
broth is about the extent Of their culinar,
knowledge. There are sixteen distinc
ways of making an omelet and they dom
know one of them. Naturally. the epicure
are driven to the restaurants"
, In Harlem the same condition of affair
prevails, and a number of new restaurant
have recently been opened in that section
OF town. The patronage of a certain Hun
garian restaurant on the East Side is s.
much greater than the capacity of tn
place that the headwaiters charged wit
the seating of patrons are supercilious t
the point of impertinence, their behavio
saying more plainly than words IF yo
don't like IL you can go elsewhere"
l In certain table d'hote place o.
3 Twenty-sixth street the boniface of tn
i | establishment has recognized the CROWN
/ | tendency TO dine in restaurants to the ex
tent of announcing ascent table d'hot
D | rate for children. All excuse for dining a
| home appears TO have been disposed of
: | The era of the diner famflle iS over