Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-03

,tatoes and cucumbers, and I don't doubt
that they would have plastered the lowly
corn pone with deur de lis if this Southern
specially had not been beyond them. A
distinct blow has been aimed at that fraud
whereby the chef pretended to give you
something exclusive, when in reality he
did not. To Observation-Disclosures you came
in here and saw on our card Steak Ia
Astor.' You reasonably expect to find
something new. This may prove to be
merely steak a la Bordelaise, for which.
perhaps, you do not care. The chef has
been guilty OF culinary plagiarism, and ne
should be suspended by the thumbs and
given nine slaps on the wrist I think the
menu card of the up to date cafe should
call spade a spade. 1t has contained too
many trifiing mysteries hitherto. It is all
right to give French names to French
dishes, but the tendency should stop there
"A big hotel must be thoroughly cosmo-
politan in it's cuisine. In New York 1t
must cater to every nationality, and eat
Ing Is a matter Of national, almost racial
taste. The Germans, and the English Also
in large measure, run to heavy foods.
The French and Italians lean toward rich,
but delicate foods. In the preparation Of
dishes to suit these varied tastes, one must
be aware of counterfeits. They should
and must be all they pretend to be, and
the only way to have them so is to give
an exact-well, replica-of the dish as it is
made in the country from which it is i'm
ported. It is the only way to be artistic.
If want to reproduce a room after the
style of a certain country I go there to
copy it. And if have Hungarian goulash
in the bill it must be the same as the dish
prepared in Hungary. Don't think I am
waxing ford when call the chefs voca-
ton the art cuisine. 1t is the broadcast and
most catholic of all arts and in it's develop
ment every civilized being is interested.
'"There Is no change to simplicity in the
matter Of service. Patrons won't permit
it They take an aesthetic pleasure in
snowy napery and the glisten of silver
j and glass. You can't have too much splen-
dor in this respect so long as IT is in good
taste.
Desserts are more varied. There are
more fruits and more foreign delicacies
and fewer buildings and prepared dishes.
1 regard this as a step toward simplicity,
for the fruits and conserves are far more
healthful than the strange mixtures of
sweets that are the dread of every dyspep-
tic. Women seem to incline toward the
fancy sweets and to care less for ice cream
than they used to. A woman will order a
biscuit tortoni while her escort, as likely
as not, will select ice cream. Salads, so
far as I can Judge, are about the same.
The heavy salads have not been in favor
for long time, and I regard this as a
step forward.
'tAs far as drinking with meals is con-
cerned, there is marked tendency tow
ard moderation, and at a banquet men may
take wine, but not from choice. The high
ball is king Of stimulants to-day. 1t seems
to be veritable craze, and it has passed
my understanding. Cocktails seem to be
losing favor, and men seldom drink them
at the bars in cafes.
''After all, the best place to judge of
styles in foods is at the table of a wealthy,
exclusive home. 1t is here that you see
the best service and, in fact, it is after
them that the best cafes try to pattern.
And here you will find the foods palmer
than they have been for years.
At the st. Regis it is said that the tend
ency is toward simplicity in foods. R. NJ.
Ham, the manager, does not use this term,
however.
II should prefer to call it conservatism .
Ehe said. "Just as the well dressed man
affects sober grays in his apparel, so the
trend in foods is toward something less
Ioutwardly ostentatious. 1t is merely in
line with the tendency in other things.
America has had it's fling at the gaudy and
the gilded Nations. like people, have to
pass through this stage before they find
| themselves. The furniture in homes is
| 9ss ornate in the respect that it has done
Iaway with the loudness of vuIgarity. We