The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-10

OVEREAT|NG
NO I s. |.
ERROR
Authorities Agree That People
OF City Are Moderate
Diners
Eat too much? Now. do wee

Are San Franciscans open to the i'm
putation of that horrid. old fashioned.
biblical sin of gluttony?
Mrs. William Palmer Lucas, author
of The Woman Who Spends" declared
yesterday that the people of this city
itors here who would be entertained
must fast to prepare for the function.
1t is the opinion of those who live
and have their being in San Francisco
that quality rather than quantity has
their repasts, and some of
them have to say on the subject as
Mrs. Mary Simpson Sperry. a notable
housewife and prominent In
women's activities of the day-I
certainly. in my own circle, do not
see people eat too much. I believe
in having plenty of plain, whole
some food, and / certainly can not
be accused of overeating. No
woman of my years could lead the
active life 1 do If she did.
course, but / do not think an ex-
travagant standard prevails here.
good diet is needed and personal
judgment must decide those things
which are best for us. Certainly
the people here look healthy
enough. SO they can not go SO very
far wrong in their eating.
DIR. Caroline Cook Coffin, physician
and state chairman of the House
wives league do think San
Franciscans eat too much. They
proceed to feed you at once. no
matter what the entertainment is.
There is, for instance. too much
general eating by organizations 1t
is getting so that you can't get
people together for any cause un-
less they are fed. 1t must be
luncheon or a dinner or there is no
meeting.
Inordinate eating is bad, and
there is a saying that more people
have died from overeating than
from starvation. Here one sees the
result of the old fashioned Califor-
MIA hospitality and visitors are en-
tertained too Iavishly.
San Franciscans have the repu-
tation for being good feeders. but
that will cause depreciation, for it
does not make for mental activity.
Mrs. i. Lowenberg, author and club
PRESIDENT don't believe people
think any more of food here than
they do in other places. In fact, l
doubt If they think as much of
what they are eating, for this rea-
son: they pay so much attention to
the details of the service of food.
The table decorations and acces-
sories certainly are considered more
by the guests at 1uncheons and din
ners, II seems to me, than is the
food.
Hostesses here do not overdo the
matter of providing food, but give
enough of good quality, and then
furnish delights to the eye as well.
That appeals to the senses In
higher way. There is a general de-
sire here for good, wholesome food.
but do not think the mass of the
people are either gourmands or
gourmets. There is no feeling here
of the grossness of ones food"
John TAFT of Tait-Zfnkand cafe-The
charge is not true that San Fran
ciscans overeat People live here
more as they do in European coun-
tries. They eat very little break
fast, probably an orange and cup
of coffee or something of that kind.
Then they take a good luncheon at
IL or / o'clock and If they dine
alone they are apt to dine lightly.
In fact, i think San Francisco
people themselves eat rather less
than in many places. They certain
ly give their guests more because
the old southern hospitality, COM
bined with California hospitality.
makes them seek to do much for
their visitors They themselves,
however, eat little and they merely
offer 1t to others; there is no COM
pulsion used. People come in to
me and order a dinner when they
are entertaining and they say gen.
orally, Give me good dinner now,
the best you can. but not too much.
Let the courses be light San
Franciscans know better how to eat
than any others in the country, out
side of new York. They live more
as Europeans do.
JAMES Woods of the st. Francis hotel
II can not agree with that opinion.
San Franciscans have good taste,
taking them as a whole. And over
eating is decidedly bad taste. There
are to be found individual examples,
as there may be any place. but the
tendency here is to the right thing.
They do not overdo In the matter of
entertainment. At least that Is our
experience. They want things SIM
pie, but everything very fine. Con-
stantly we are told: "Thi sdinner
must be the best you can do for us,
but not too long" There is de-
sire here to have the very best OF
food, a few things, but quality every
time rather than quantity. There
can be but little criticism offered of
the tendency of the people Of San
Francisco in the matter of eating.