The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
THE Law or THE TABLE D'HOTE.
Prosperity Follow ed,by Adversely the Fate
OF Certain. Restaurants.

An infexihle law regulates the rise, the
prosperity and the fall of table dhote res
taurants in New York city. The latest act Of
this law in operation is to be seen on West
Broadway, in what was formerly South
Fifth avenue, where a metal black cat on
the front of the old Black Cat restaurant
holds vigtl over an unoccupied building.
The original Black Cat was in Paris.
When the Black Cat was opened here the
walls of the restaurant were decorated,
the bills of fare we're embelllshed and the
cashiers desk was ornamented with black
cats.
The establishment on West Broadway
bet ween Third and Blocker streets en-
loved for many years a large popularity
among the French people at the period
when South Fifth avenue VI the centre OF
the French colony in New York and
Blocker street its chief thoroughfare.
What sustains a successful table d'h6te
restaurant is not the transient custom, but
the steady patronage of the regulars who
are residents OF the vicinity. When the
French population of the South Fifth ave-
nue. neighborhool began to move up town
the original conductors of the Black Cat
sold il and established a new and rival
Black Cat uptown.
At that period the larger portion Of the
Franco-American population of New York
CITY was between Twenty-third and Thirty
fourth streets on tbs. West Side, a neigh
borhood largely supplied with table d'hote
restaurants. Subsequently the Black Cat
new was sold, and the Black Cat (oldj con-
tinued for some years on its way.
Now the whole neighborhood of West
Broadway south of Washington Square and
north of Houston street has been trans
formed. Many dwellings were succeeded
by stores. The French inhabitants moved
uptown, and they were succeeded by
Italians.
In tho natural evolution Of things, the
Black Cat passed into the control OF Italian
nroprietors, and was run as an Italian table
! d'h6te at "A reduced charge. To omelets
of chicken livers succeeded spaghetti; the
cheese which was a part OF the menu was
brought at the beginning OF the dinner, IN
stead of at the close; straw was seen to en-
! case some of the bottles of the better wines
which had previously been served in glass.
and there were fewer cigarettes smoked and
smaller tips, ~
The habit Of dining out is much less gen
eral among Italian residents OF New YORK
than it is among French residents ana an
Italian table d'h0te must depend largely
upon the patronage and support or
, strangers. 4 downtown restaurant in the
business part ofNew York, which is geener-
ally deserted mt night, cannot have a large
I dinner patronage therefore the BLACK Cat
ceased to be profitable to its conductors,
/ and was abandoned for restaurant uses.
Sill, the metal figure Of the black cat re-
mains on the front of the house, and the
thousands Of patrons of the elevated rail-
road who pass there daily can observe II asa
reminder of the change which, has taken
place in this n~eighborhood, a change con-
ducive to business but unfavorable to table
d'hote restaurants.
A 81 200 liquor li~cense-s25 a WEEKS a
heavy burden to a cheaptahle dhote, unless
already in the enjoyment of a large. patron
| age. or unless having an extensive bar
trade or large profit from its sale OF wines,