Evening journal., 1911-12-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Lobster a Ia Newburc
Got Its Name
By Holland

1T is curious and often inexplic-
able how names become associated
with some dish which is a favorite of
epicures or of gourmets," said the
late Samuel Ward to me as we were
returning from Long Branch upon &
steamboat one afternoon in the sum
mer of 1877.
Mr.. Ward was himself the most fa-
nous of American epicures, a true
gourmet, and never gourmand. He
was a member of the most exclusive
social circles Of Neww York. He was
very near by marriage to the Astor
family. He was a brother Of Julia
Ward, who married DR.. Howe. He was
an uncle of Marion Crawford, and it
was, in fact, due to his advice that
Mr. Crawford turned a story which he
had been telling to Mr.. Ward into
manuscript, offering it Immediately af-
ter for sale to his publishers. II was
published and became the most popu-
lar book of tile season, causing Mr..
Crawford to abandon his vocation as
an artist and to take up the business
Of writing stories. The title Of the
story was "Mr. lsaacs." Yet, notwith-
Ward owed his widest reputation TO
his judgment as an epicure and his
great skill as a story teller.
81 was thinking" Mr. Ward contin-
ued, when | said to you that II was
curious how names get attached to
popular dishes or viands, of the man
ner in which that delicious epicurean
compound known as lobster la New
burg came to receive its name.
Just after the Civil War many of
the leading men of New York wero
accustomed TO meet in the cafe of the
old DelmOnicO restaurant on lower
Fifth avenue, now no longer in exist
ence. At the rear end Of the long room
in which the cafe was located, you
were sure of meeting August Belmont,
Sr., William r. Travis, frequently
Commodore Vanderbilt almost every
evening Leonard Jerome and very Of
ten Frank Work, who at that time was
recognized as one of the richest brok-
ers of New York, because he had the
Vanderbilt account
The original Delmonico, Lroenzo,
or his brother Serenzo, sat for an hour
or two with these men, and the broth
ers were welcome members of that
little circle. l was very often there and
| remember that on one occasion a
very striking looking man came in,
took a seat at a table and ordered a
woOdcock. IL was not cooked to please
him, and he protested vigorously
whereupon Lorenzo Delmonico went
to the table and asked the stranger
what the difficulty was. The man
merely pointed to the woodcock. Del
monico, in the most polite manner eX-
pressing his regret that a woodcock
cooked in that way should have been
brought to any customer took the bird
away and, returning, said to the Gus
| toner: You have done me a very
great favor by calling my attention TO
this badly cooked bird; you shall have
another, cooked to your taste
This man was so pleased with the
| attention shown to him that he be-
came regular customer and at last
became acquainted with him. He
proved TO be Benjamin Weinberg. Ho
had been the captain of vessel, the
Wanderer, which brought the last car
go of slaves from the coast Of Africa
to South America. That slave trade
was ended by the action Of Henry A.
Wise when he was minister from the
United States to Brazil. Captain Wen
berg was a very entertaining man and
/ think, the most perfect epicure
ever met. He told us one day that he
would introduce us to a new dish. Il
proved to be lobster cooked i'm cream,
Favored with sherry, and served with
cold asparagus salad. Il was a dish OF
his own invention IL became so popu-
lar that Delmonico determined TO give
il a name and in honor Of Captain
Weinberg he called it lobster a la Wen.
berg.
Il am sure that no new dish ever
gained such instant favor as did this
one Captain Weinberg went to live al
the old Delmonico place; but after q
few months he quarreled with Del
monico and the quarrel was so bitter
that the great chef determined nc
longer to name the dish lobster a Ia
Weinberg. Instead he called il lob.
ster a Ia Newburg and stuck to the
name, although everybody laughed al
him, saying that Newburg was a towr
upon the Hudson above salt water
where, Of course, no Holsters were
caught and where, probably, very few
were eaten.
"DelmOnico was obstinate, however
and gradually lobster a la Newburg
together with soft she'll crabs anG
canvasback ducks, were recognized BY
all epicures of the United States anC
those of Europe who visited us as th'
greatest of American table delicacies.
Copyright, 1911. by f. ]. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell O.
@The Man Who Wouldn't Sell TO ia.
Gould at ANY Price"