New-York tribune., 1908-03-08
EAT UP $100 AT
ONE SITTING? EASILY!
.RFN'T OBLIGED TO BE 4
PIG, EITHER.
Gill Modern Dinners Can't Com
pare srith Those of the
IAncients.
By NJ w Mount.

.cs- one man eat a hundred dollars worth
..,s st one meal without making a pig OF
..-,ss,f.~ is a question often asked when news
- - nrhlish reports OF dinners that cost 500
8 plate,
r.,sb-a.ed raaEtres d'fo;ei Of Gotham say he
II all depends upon the rarity and unsea-
.--.hleuess Of the viands he consumes and the
:, ~ the wines he orders
:. -aan can. without discomfort eat a hun
A. dollars worth Of food at a meal" said
--rssr, c Muschenheirl, proprietor OF the
- Astcr. the other day. Suppose he calls
highly priced fish. which is brought here
e-eat cost and difficulty from its home in
- rsspian Sea; for ptarmigan. from the Arc
-. delicate bird from Brazil and rare fruit
= lava with costly, fresh Russian caviar
- .he-e are as many kinds Of caviar as of
-. lei the meal be opened by green turtle
-, made with fine wine. and continue with
..,-,,,s.aack terraPin. canvasback duck and
=. dishes and sauces concocted Of the most
,-zive articles out Of season in the market
e.. menu could easily amount to 500. for ii
- ss much 70 provide specially dish
ono re-son as for ten. Wines and cigars
Ia ,,ste an additional $50 bill dissolve like
eelatine."
,-sve-theless. it remains true that the decora-
.,-x g, me average high priced dinner make
= hv far the larger proportion Of the cost a
,,,.. an5 the food comes in poor second on
the bil
DECORATIONS C0sTLIER THAN VIANDS.
u-sae the average good dinner of to-day
,ss-s from $40 20 SIS plate for food alone. II
& ~, uncommon TO have dinners costing from
r7a ~ $50 e plate. not an unreasonable sum
when = is considered that in the market enough
,s,eragus TIPS for one person cost from 30 TO
ss endive 81 and tomatoes 30 cents pound
hokes - cents apiece and other hothouse
y.rerables II proportion: that fine fresh caviar
ras4s so and delectable Cape fish 50 70 10
,s--s q round and diamondback terrapm 80
.S each Canvasback duck is quoted ar
.ae-t,g figure which has never been SO hlsh'
while the irrurlera5le little things-such as
--uses. mushrooms snails, cockscombs and the
Hse which enter into dishes add greatly TO their
o-r;naI cost Expensive wines in soups ana
sgroes convert these into costly comestibles'
ssd hothouse fruits and prepared nuts con-
,rbure their quota 10 the sum total
Architects Of great banquets say that deco
-.-,.ns for these cost sometimes fifteen times
AZ rn,ch as the viands. Il is charming TO dine
h4st5s 3 lake where disport fish and aquatic
(Which are StItltNtlll-S pltScaItcd "
n cs--v scuav-llirag homeD. plants and trees, or
~ rbe midst OF 7oKer-decked forest But IL
eosrs something 10 build a lake in q banquet
hal rlske rainbow fountains spout On tables
sa6 csnrer1 a ballroom into forest Opera
s---e-s charge more 10 fiji such scenes with
-c-es n thrilling sweetness than average nu-
ssezns demand for a like service. There is
hardly srv limit to what dinner may cost
r-fg-s oplv rare plants and orchids used in
decorarions, the richest table service is en-
rleved and only the greatest singers are en-
gaged but without such ''specialties' Del
raoniCo's chef af7rms. ''one can get something
rice for SIS With wines and cigars one can
se- something very fine for s1oo.''
sor1eir7es The cost OF souvenirs is included in
Re charge for q dinner. but not usually
fouvenirs and cigars are generally ciasseu
snonc The extras" Of z dinner suitably fnr-
nshea with music. special service and decora-
tons
| L this age the evolution OF the gourfnand is
! ne gourmet In another decade. predicts
ge-chnikoff the tabloid bottle Will suppiant the
hsnqueting board.
Gross Is our eating habit may be to-day IN
the eves Of such scientists we are. neFertht-
sss z table refinement far ahead OF INC
sneieuts IN ffe matter Of feasting that We may
We ignore the threats OF a mummy al our
hosri IN the shape CT q tabloid bottle whose
su.isnts sound the knen OF conviviality IN the