The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-12
DINNER AT "RAMPOILI'S"
A RESTAURANT THAT DOESN'T
CARE FOR NEW PATRONS.
me Stranger Investigated Through . Peep
hole Before He Is Allowed to Enter
-0ne, Small boy TO wait on Forty
Guests-The Professor n the Old FOgy.

Three New Workers had the following
experience the other evening which was
90 novel to one OF them that he undertakes
TO tell about It.. One Of the party is a pro-
fessor the embodiment Of middle aged
dignity In the lecture room or at an after
noon tea. One OF the others, a little older,
is a reasonably disposed man under rea-
sonable circumstances.
The thing began by a complaint on the
part Of the latter that the ordinary life
Of the tow no longer interested him. He
IL a bit Of an old fogy, q things are not as
they used TO be kind Of man. you know.
And he complained about his dinner.
We'll" he said, give me a place where
I can eat. A modest table d'hote with
the dishes properly cooked and the price
somewhere within sight. That's the main
requisite. That the patrons should be
interesting is Of minor Importance. II
yor Gan show me such a place lead the
way. I'm hungry. and the thought OF a
boarding house dinner pals on me-"
The professor thought q moment and
decided on a place that shall be disguised
under the name Of Rampolli's, for IL would
be manifestly unfair to the industrious
lawbreaker who runs 1t TO locate It for the
benefit Of prying Detectives or hirelings
Of the Internal Revenue Service. Not
that R~anpolli's is n dive.
There is no sign on the building to indicate
the existence Of a restaurant, the patron
cannot get in until he has been inspected
through a peep hole in the basement door
by the proprietor-just as il the place were
a gambling Holland the neighborhood Is
one Of the most crowded and apparently
NA-AwN, aN11I-4~ l.. A. ,sN,,. A,,N thA LID
fogey might nave taken his daughter
there, II he had one, 80 far as the moral
character Of the place is concerned-that is,
II he and his daughter had no conscientious
scruples about cocktails before dinner,
abundant wine between courses and a
rafting atmosphere Of revelry toward the
end.
On the way the ~philosophio professor
and his grouty companion picked up a
pianist Of abstemious life and lofty ideals
and at half past 9 these three stood at the
basement door Of what seemed to his
fogeyship the shabbiest building in New
York.
The professor knocked and a suspicious
face presently appeared at the peep hole.
There was no sign Of recognition, no move
ment to unlock the door.
This is Rampolli's, isn't it1' asked the
professor blandly. we would like to have
dinner"
'Rampolli no here no more" replied the
man behind the door. 1.-TWO weeks gone
ooh. well! ] used TO come here often
when he ran the restaurant. There Is still
a restaurant here, isn't there?"
There was no answer, and the old fogy
looked anxiously around TO see whether
there might be an eating house in the vicin-
ity where there was no prejudice against
unknown patrons. He was ravenously
hungry, the old fogy was. He could have
eaten chop suey in default Of anything
better,
mo know-you,' said the man at the peep
hole.
II did iook as II the professors were up
against It.
Offer him pay In advance whispered
Of obdurate hall managers at the approach
Of the hour for beginning a concert.
Perhaps you know somebody sug-
gested the man at the peep hole.
We'll, now. let's see." replied the pro-
lessor. Il used to meet DR.. Seneschini
here, but he's in South America now. And
there were Puocini. Leoncavallo. Mascagni,
D'Annunzio. Are any Of them in this
EVENING""
These may not be the precise names
the professor mentioned. but the sound is
much the same, and the man behind the
door was impressed. He had heard some
Of the names before. and at last. when as
sured that the pianist and the old fogy
we're the professors friends and harmless,
he cautiously opened the door.
The professor led his companions through
a narrow passage, past a o whence came
kitchen odors that made the old fogy's
mouth water, to the back yard where a
number Of men we're bowling. II was no
wooden alley with tenpins, but the ancient
game, which gave the name to the parklet
at the foot Of Broadway, played on the bare
ground. The professor explained that
in warm weather Rampolli used TO set his
dinner tables in the yard, but the old fogy
was not interested.
Il want Tonight dinner, not last weeks,
he grumbled. Let's find the dining ROOM
The three turned TO find the proprietor,
he OF the peephole, lowering at them.
you gents want dinner?' he asked
t~hreateningly.
The professor assured him that such
was the sole purpose Of the visit, and the
proprietor ~distrustfully and, it seemed,
u%nwillingly permitted them to pass. They
traversed again the passage of appetizing
odors and mounted narrow, uncarpeted
stairs to an upper floor, where we're two
long tables spread with a thin, ono white
cloth, each with chairs for twenty persons.
There were plates on the tables and several
loaves Of cut bread; 80 it did look like
dinner, and the old fogey dropped into a
chair with a sigh Of a~nticipatory salts
lection. The interior OF the house a
every bit as shabby as the exterior. The
ancient paper had been torn from the walls
in many spots, the windows q musty
shades, but no curtains and there was an
entire absence Of effort to relieve the shah
biness bv decoration. So there was little
to distract the old fogey's attention from
his empty stomach while the minutes
dragged by.
A coatless boy OF about lo toiled upstairs
with a huge pile Of plates, which be dis
tributed about the table. They were
empty, and the boy looked at the visitors
as II he wondered what they were there
for. He ven out and returned with more
plates, also empty. The old fogey helped
himself to bread.
Then the regular patrons began to drift
in and In short order both tablas were filed.