The sun., 1903-10-18
NOT FOR THE TABLE DHOTE
Queerly Named Dishes the SiEnOra Serves
to the Initiated.

~
The initiated who 60 to dine at Signora' q
view with kind Of pity the patrons that
| are satisfied with the table d'h6te. Only
the former can know the delights that
abide in Italian cooking when it is in It's
natural state and not made to conform to
the exactions of New York table dhote.
But Signora. looking like the Witch Of
Endor, with her few wisps Of gray hair
tied back in knots so tight that her eyes
bulge moro than nature made them, gives
her public what it wants and has made
enc fortune at it. Now. that she has spent
that fortune for dowry for a daughter
who married nobleman Of the country
in which she was peasant before she was
a cook, she has come back to the Tender
loin to earn another fortune-and she seems
to be doing it.
II the Americans who pay for her table
d'hote tho meagre sum she asks prefer it
to her own specialties of cooking, it is not
her affair.
Il givva whatta tay want" she says
with smile that displays desert of gums,
toothless but for one or two rugged ruins
of teeth. They givva me de mon. Bastu.'
But they @givva de mon" for the regular
dinner only because they do not know what
the strange words on the Italian bills Of
fare mean. The complacent eater of tho
table dhote never would get, in the first
place, the wonderful hors d'nuvre COM
posed Of pepperoni rossi, tonne dW oio,
oil. vinegar and capers. Nor would he
ever get minestrone unless he ordered it
especially.
That vegetable soup containing a little
OF everything in the vegetable world Is
especially delectable in summer, but it is
good enough now.
Tie cloth may not be impeccable at
Signora's, and the glasses are thick But
in its crispness and freshness, the bread
in its odd Italian forms is good and the
cheese and butter abundant and of good
quality. All Of the wine is cheap and some
Of it is good.
Fish is speciality of the place in only one
delicious, There are enough brands of mac
aroni and spaghetti to make up for any
scarcity Of fish. There is spaghetti al burro,
which means with butter, and that is deli
cious; then there is spaghetti la acciupa,
or with anchovies, and with ldsdqne, which
is name applied with astonishing impair
tiality to egg noodles, and meat sauce
which is tasty and rich, Then there is mac
aroni with cheese or with slices Of bologna
sausage in it.
Among the meats the prudent frequenters
OF the house stick to veal and lamb or NUT
ton, although the flets Of beef are good,
especially when they are cooked in parne-
san fashion, which does not mean with
cheese. but species of sauce piduant
Osso buco Is the bone of calf, roasted
with delicious marrow and meat about IL,
and served on risotto with delicious brown
sauce. Arostino is a veal outlet with a
kidney In the corner, cooked with thyme
and other herbs and served with risotto
The outlets of veal, Drowned deliciously,
are served with the anchovies or tomato
sauce, as one prefers. Kidneys served
with Madeira and sauce that would deli gll t
the most fastidious gourmet are another
speciality OF the house that might not be
recognized under the name OF ro0noni
trifoloi.
Fritto misto is miscellaneous collection
of vegetables fried In crumbs and mixed
| with bits of kidney, brains and liver also
covered with the same dressing Of crumbs.
Fried mushrooms OF the same kind are
funghi fritto, and polpettore la Mildnaise
Is meat ball served with cheese and some
of the delicious brown gravy which Signora
! SAYS is her secret and known to nobody
) else.
These are some Of the dishes that she
| serves to those who know enough to order
| them; and they regret therefore to see
| those who might know better satisfied with
| the table d'hote.