Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-07
ENGLISH ON BILLS OF FARE
From the New York Times.


TRENCH, the language in which we
eat Is in danger Of being driven
from the bills of fare in our res
taurants. At a recent convention the
| New England Hotel Mems association
formally resolved to adopt EnelIsh as
lne otTlclal language for descriptions
or Iood. The Hotel Mems association
OF Pennsylvania has likewise bestirred
ltself IN the matter; and they are get
tlng excited about it in London. Even
IN New York, which takes charge of
most of the restaurant French that
Paris cannot use, "its advocacy Is be-
ing htsened to with great patience, "
according to the Hotel Register.
SO 1t looks as IL trouble may be In
store for the French chefs (cooks) and
maitres d'hotel (grand moguls), who
nave so Tongue Oong) filled our menus
(bills of fare) with noms de plume
open pictures) for the most insignificant
plats (dishes) of petits haricots farcies
Ia dlable (beans)
ITS right that English should be
used on bills of fare" said one of the
big men in a certain famous Broadway
restaurant. "At this place we always
make a point of doing It. OF course,
where 1t is impossible to find trans
lation of French names for sauces and
under those French names we have to
let them stand. Otherwise English is
good enough for u.s."
He picked up one of the bills of fare
for the day. 1t was headed Carte du
Jour" He blushed. But farther down
1t called shad shad, and had a long
array of words like steak" and "tur-
key" which bore out the assertion that
English held the post of honor.
At other Broadway restaurants, how
ever, quite a different view was taken
of the matter. In the realm of the
maitre d'hotel some had not even heard
of the movement to give English its
due. Others laughed contemptuous
transatlantic laugh. All felt sure that
French would continue to reign su-
preme
When for ham and eggs a New York
er begs.
To the French he becomes a serf,
He must needs get on to the word
'jambon"
And follow it up with "oeufs."
That is the sentiment that prevails
in the trust that controls our bills of
fare. The French maitres dhotel feel
sure that "vol-au-vent a la finanCiere"
is not to be exposed And (to take the
case of a non-French tyran) the great
general who marshaled, on a bill of
fare of prominent German restau-
rant, this army corps.
NEUER HOLLAENDISCHE NOLL-
HAERING NIT SCHNITTBOHNEN
UND PELLKARTOFFELN
to express a single dish, feels sure that
it will not be dispersed by the reform
ers.
These foreigners ignore the fact that
the movement is being led by grim,
determined men who have almost
starved in the midst of plenty because
they seldom get piece of meat before
the ninth guess. They do not take into
consideration that the ranks of the
reformers number men who have nom
chalantly ordered 'une piece boeuf de
bouilli," with not so much as glance
at the price, only to stink away hag-
gard and disillusioned, when a piece of
boiled beef was brought to them. These
men have seen the emptiness of those
high-sounding French names.
Though it shock the soul of the par
ley-voo,
And with canons of art it clash,
Ev'ry boeuf en- dauble is an Irish stew,
Evry bouillabaisse ls-hash!"
So Kipling might have sung while
paying his check. Those at the head
of the anti-French movement would
agree with him. And yet the men be-
hind the menu dope sheeD remain
calm and scornful.
One of them, who reigns over the
restaurant of a prominent hotel, grew
quite voluble and explosive when the
news was broken to him.
Some t'ings cannot be translate