The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-02-05
EXPENSIVE 8ANQUETS,
Dinners Costing s100 a Plate
Are Not Uncommon.
FAOS THAT SWELL THE BILL.
Artistic and Scenic Effects and Lux
urious Surroundings Help to Pile Up
the Price-Metho6s Of the Manager
Of Modern Dining Palace.

urious Surroundings Help to Pile Up
the Price-Metho6s OF the Manager
Of Modern Dining Palace.
How would you like to pay 500 for
single meal? There was time
when this question would have seemed
absurd, but now, with our rapidly
growing wealth, it e1cites little COM
ment. Yes, 500 plate banQuets are
not uncommon among the Four Hun
dred. and $40. $50 and $50 plate are
quite ordinary charges for twentieth
century banQuets. To the ordinary
mind. however, It is not easy to imag-
me a list Of delicacies expensive
enough to foot up such an amount or
an appetite so expensive as to desire
them. Nightingales' tongues and hum
ming birds wings. washed down with
the costliest wines. would not satisfy
the up to date diner. however. The
caterer does not depend entirely upon
his chef and his steward for the sue
cess Of great functions" Artists and
mechanical genuises are his chief as
sistants. Ee must be able to trans
form a New York banquet hal! into
plaza in Venice, corner OF old Japan
or an ancient Greek or Roman pa!ace,
as mis- guests taste or whim may dc
tate.
Fads Of millionaires and the fanc;es
Of clubs and societies always seeking
the unusual have brought to pass the
500 3 plate dinner. The production
Of the surroundings they demand ne
cessitates the outlay Of thousands OF
dollars for each separate banquet Il
would never do to have two banQuets
alike. as goes without saying.
There was recently given in q new
hote! IN New York bachelor dinner
at which the guests were seated in g
corne" Of Venice. The effect was
masterpiece Of scenic art and electrical
ingenuity. and that, quite as much as
the rich viands, was what the host
wanted and was paying coc. The
doors along the corridor at the sides OF
the great banquet hall were removed,
and in their places balusrades were
set to give the appearance Of Vene-
tian balconies Beyond stretched 3
transparency 15o feet long and twenty
feet high. showing most realistically
street In the city Of canals. Between
this and the dining room was wa
terway on which piled gondo!a with
q party Of roubadours, who played
and sang as they passed to and fro.
The tables were set about the room,
at one end OF which beautiful gar
den Of growing palms and flowers had
been laid out, in its center fountain
which tossed its light spray almost to
the ceiling. Thousands Of tinted cleo
tric lights shed soft blue illumination
over the whole. giving the effect OF
italian twilight One could scarcely
realize that shut cut only by the stur-
dy walls OF the hotel and thick hang
ings were the glare END rumble OF
Longacre square
But there is an endless variety OF
elaborate and picturesque effects ere
ated for the twentieth century diner
New York furnishes the most striking
examples and the most numerous,
though London and Paris vie with her
soc the donors Of extravaganza. Nine.
Madeleine Lemaire's dinners are per-
haps the most notable Of Paris. She
has :, special fo1dness for the an
csent n effects, and IN Grecian court
her guests sit at Greek feast and
I'll the room with their singing. An
other striking effect followed a supper
to notable visitor from abroad. The
guests were led to room which had
been arranged to represent a pastoral
scene. with growing turf and foliage,
and running about among the Tees
were several little lambs. Overhead
was suspended huge ball which sud
denly burst and showeTed American
Beauty roses on those beneath it
The banquet itself is gigantic Un-
dertaking. for under the managers sp-
pervision comes the selection Of dish
es. their cooking. the silver, glass and
china. the mode Of service and the
hundred and one other details. a great
dining palace seats from l.5o0 to 1900
persons. sll Of whom must be served
simultaneously and each Of whom
must be served as If he alone were to
be considered. This gives some idea
perhaps Of the banquet managers task.
The Office Of this modern magician
suggests. with its roll top desk. its
typewriter and its telephone. the Office
Of any manager Of large enterprises.
Here be meets the people playing the
part OF hosts >snd goes over the details
Of the entertainment with them. 8e
suggests. consu!ts, advises and decides
on each item no: only Of the menu,
but Of decorations and Of service. Ere
ouently and particularly in the case Of
clubs and societies he IS offered s.
Fixed figure and must lay out scheme
to cone within its limits.
When the commercial arrangements,
so to speak. have been made he sits
down to map out bis campaign A
typewriter plan IS sent to the steward
showing Just what his department may
be required to Go. another to the deco
rator, another to the electrician, one to
the bead waiter. one to the chef. one
to the wine keeper and one to the
"confectioner Of souvenirs" These
are the banquet managers trusted
lieutenants, without whom his success
&C vonl6 he little more than frantic
endeavors.-New York Letter in What
To Eat