New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-14
\ NEW Works. MIDWAY OF EXOTIC EATING PLACES
Where Food Is Served with Racial At
mosphere That Has Fascination
for Many Persons.
Racial At

bivouacking in the New York streets. The
most striking thing about it is the humorous
incongruity in the mixture OF American manu-
facture and foreign simplicity and naivete
On the walls OF Chinese restaurant, deco.
rated with Chinese gardens, with Chinese in
laid tables and stools set about the floor there
will be hung on sign, on white cardboard
,ld with black letters, Horizons Ice Cream
Sold Here" or French Fried Potatoes" The
Chinese curtains of rich design and fabric will
be tied back with piece of red ribbon bought
in an American five aid ten cent store. The
entrance will be constructed of scrubbed Amer
lean tile in bathroom design.
There is a quarter OF town down on Wash
ington ST., just below Rector, known as the
Armenian quarter. Just block or two away
is the waterfront and docks shipping at
mosphere pervades the narrow, unpretentous
street Here one feels that rare Southern
wines and Oriental spices and silks are being
shipped in and out and that Southern pirate
seamen should be seen shambling along the
street on their sea legs. Small unkempt, brown
skinned children play in the roadway and
strange names like Shaouy, Lampathakis, LAM
bus, Kirdahy, Iskenderian are painted on the
windows of small shops There are sweet
cakes, such as paklava and queer looking
vegetables and fruit displayed At night there
is a cosmopolitan mixture OF food and closed
warehouses; children and dimly lighted en-
frances to Easements painted with blush green
paint Oriental faces and fat bodies dressed in
American sweaters and cheap shoes.
WHERE RESTAURANTS HAVE THE
INTIMACY OF CLUBS.
There must be very un-American domestic
life behind those sordid looking walls, where
members of families wait with as much long
ing and perhaps more, for the Homecoming
of father or brother. A great many of those
who have no families in this country eat in>
restaurants, and they make out of those places
an intimate atmosphere of club that becomes
almost home to them. They welcome an out
slider with all the hospitality that only for
eigner is capable of-perhaps with more Gu
riosity than we feel ourselves, but hidden by
that polite suavity Tables arranged along
the walls in rectangular American style. There
are white American tablecloths, not very clean.
On the tables are placed .rass coffee urns and
Oriental china. The place must look the same
to them as would an American man to US
dressed in Turkish coat and fez over a
starched white shirt and with pink and white
complexion.
The fat proprietor and his comrades are
grouped around long table at the rear. His
servant comes forward to take our coats and
hats and seat us at table. He is young boy
with smouldering black eyes. He has on
blue striped shirt with no collar and cheap
imitation wool sweater What are the words
written on these cups" we ask, pointing to
the heroglyphics. THAT mean good luck he
says. Good luck to you" we say. His face
lights up with radiant smile and he raises an
imaginary cup to his lips and says with bow,
Good luck to you, friends"
FOUR AMERICAN BUSINESS MEN
BREAK INTO ORIENTAL CIRCLES.
At a table near us sit quartet of Arneri-
can business men, adventuring. At least they
have the missionary spirit about them; and
they look as though they had come to hold
prayer meeting on behalf of the American
standard of living. They sit uneasily upon the
edges of their chairs and they are taking
chance on what they have ordered to eat, say
ing, I'll do anything once"
1t gave one picture Of the American navy
storming the walls of Constantinople with the
intention of opening up the Orient to the
world They are given dainty, small, unsatis-
factory cups, about the size Of thimble for
their coffee. "Oh no" says one. Give us
mans cup" Sure" say the other three,
Give us a mans cup" The suave boyish
waiter consults his boss and disappears out the
front door that had a real American brass
latch. He returns with huge, thick, white
china schooners and pours rich, black Turkish
coffee to the brim. That's the stuff. Where's
your MILK" Again the Oriental youth con-
suits his boss and disappears out the door
He is accustomed to handling the American
latch. He brings back two cans OF American
condensed milk. Haven't you got any but
ter?" they insist and nod approvingly at one
another. The navy is going to have its rights.
He brings pound print wrapped in paper. in
the same obliging manner. They seem salts
Fed, as though they have found atmosphere
5ithou' 'ering any OF their American
ism. A. y sits down at nearby table,