New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-14

hERSONALL1, CLASS roasV oeel VIII"
watercress and vanilla cornstarch pud-
ding as tasty articles Of diet. II I'M
of calories; 1t leans over backward in its eager
ness TO stand high among our best proteins,
and, according to vivid chart in the back Of
the cookbook, it Is equal in food value to three
dried raisins piled one on the other plus pea
nut-butter the size Of an egg.
But for all that can't seem TO feel that /
am having q good time while / am eating It.
Re stimulates the same nerve centres in me
that lantern-slide lecture on Palestine
the Old and the New" does.
However, have noticed that there are PEG
pie who are not bored by it; in fact, have
seen them deliberately order it in restaurant
when they had the choice Of something else;
SO thought that the only fair thing could do
would be to look into the matter and see II, in
this great city, there weren't some different
WAYS of serving roast beef to vary It's monot-
ony.
Roast beef Is not the same price in all eat
ing-places. What makes the difference?
What does the diner at Sherry's get in his
roast prime ribs Of beef au jus" that makes
it distinctive from the Special to-day-roast
beef and mashed potatoes" of the Bowery res
taurant?
To answer these questions l started out on
a. tour Of the representative eating places OF
some Of our best known strata Of society, and,
whatever my conclusions are, you may be sure
that they are thoroughly inexpert
First, tried out what is known as the Bay
State Lunch, so called because on Thursdays
they have fishcake special. 1t is one Of the
hundreds of "self-serving" lunchrooms, where
you approach the marble counter and give
YOUR order in low tone to man in bar
ber's coat, and then repeat it at intervals of
one minute, each time louszs and each time .
a different man, until your are forced to point
to a tub of salmon salad and say "Some OF
that" for which your ticket is punched and
YOU are allowed to take your portion and
nurse il on the over-developed arm of a chair.
Here the roast beef shot through the Punch
and Judy arrangement in the wall, piece of
meat about as large around as a man's-size
mitten, sleeping in its own gravy and Of pale
reddish hue The price was 20 cents, which
included a dab Of mashed potato dished out in
an ice-cream scoop, generous allowance of
tender peas, two hot tea-biscuits and butter
TO match.
Considering the basic ingredient, It was
perfectly satisfactory meal, and l felt that
cially since it was going in on my expense
account
For the next experiment I went TO res
taurant where business men are wont to
gather for luncheon, men who pride them
selves on their acumen and adherence TO the
principles of efficiency. The place has French
name and its menus are printed on a card the
size Of life insurance company's compliment
tary calendar, always an ominous sign. The
roast beef here was served cold, with plate of
escarole salad when l was boy used TO
have to dig escarole out of the front lawn with
trowel so that the grass could have chance)
for 80 cents
The meat bulked little larger than at the
Bay State Lunch. but when the fat had been
cut away and trimmed off the salvage was
about the size of boys mitten. AS for the
taste, the only difference that could detect
was that one had been hot and the other cold.
And, incidentally, the waiter had some
bosom friends in the next room who fssci-
mated him so that IL was all could do to
make him see that If he didn't come around to
me once in a while. Just as a matter Of form,
there would be no way for me 10 tip him
Beef and salad, plus tip 60 cents.
That evening ambled up the Bowery un-
til came TO the Busy Home Restaurant On
blackboard in front was written Roast Beef
Mashed Potatoes and Coffee, 10 Cents My
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