The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-22
MEALS AT THE CLUBS.
Table D'Hote Losing FavOr-Cost OF Eating
for the Economical Man.

for the Economical Man.
1t is held to be a sign Of increasing wealth
among New Workers that some OF the old
clubs are abandoning their table d'hote
dinners and few Of the new ones start with
a table d'h6te. Fifteen years ago there
was a rage among the clubs for the table
d'hote.
1t never extended to all clubs, and per-
haps not to those that specially valued
Themselves upon their cuisine; but there
were some very good clubs that estab-
lished table d'h6te dinners at prices usually
under dollar. In a few pint OF wine
was included with the price Of the dinner,
but this practice was not very widely fol-
lowed. One we'll known club established
fifty cent dinner, and still maintains 1t.
When the club tables d'hote were first
established they were extremely popular.
New York clubs then swarmed with young
men of very moderate means, and the table
d. hote with six or eight weeks credit for a
mans monthly bills was very attractive.
Dining rooms were well filed, and although
there was small profit in the dinner 1t was
kept UP for the reason that it increased
club membership.
Few of the club tables d'h6te, however,
were long quite so well done as the best
restaurant dinners at the same price, and
after the novelty wore of men either dined
outside or la carte at the club. With
decreasing patronage the club dinners
grew worse, and the clubs gradually found
excuse to abandon them, though some
for a time in effect raised the price OF the
dinner by imposing on each cover service
charge, usually OF 10 cents.
While the tables d'h6te were still edible
and popular the strange spectacle was pre-
sented OF men paying rs cents for an entire
dinner of FIVE or six courses, and often
twice as much for the accompanying pint
of wine. The effect was to increase the
sales Of fairly good wine, for many a man
literally put what he saved on his meat
into his drink.
Few. clubs have tried the table d'hote
breakfast There is something about the
capriciousnees Of a breakfast appetite
that makes 1t a dangerous experiment.
A few tried the table dhote luncheon,
and some still maintain it, though the
temptation of every club within reach Of
luncheon an Ia carte meal, for business
men are more and more given to taking
luncheon at their clubs in preference to
crowded restaurants, and the luncheon
| time is the club treasurer's harvest.
Some Of the clubs made a compromise
between the a la carte and the table dhote
luncheon by providing plat du jour at
a price ranging from IS cents to a dollar.
so that the economical member could have
his luncheon with q cup Of coffee and per-
hars highbal at 60 or rs cents, and the
more extravagant could do the thing for
SIPS
As prices are arranged now in the clubs
that do not affect the table d'hote a man
Of economical turn may have all three
meals comfortably and decently at about
/ So so q day II he il content with a simple
dinner Of meat, a single vegetable, salad
and coffee. II he wishes to go bevond
| this or TO have pint Of good wine with his
dinner he may easily double his daily rate
without launching into the extravagances
! of the gourmet.
There are few New York clubs where the
spectacle OF a man sitting down alone nj
dinner with pint Of champagne at his
side docs not excite concealed amusement
! That, however, is form Of amusement
! that few members Of even the least pre-
tentious clubs frequently afford their fellow
! members,
1t is the prevailing theory at clubs where
moderate expenditure is the rule that the
| ordering OF elaborate meals and costly
! wines In TIE common dining room is an ex-
! hibition Of lad taste. Scenes OF real ex-
, trnyagance Of this sort are unusual in the
! clubs, and the man " no does such things
| unless he is known as q person OF solid
| financial character, draws upon himself
the unpleasant suspicion of POSING for some
| prn IT ical enaCf