The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-12-26
THE OLD DELMoNIco.


Christian Science Monitor: To have
lived In New York. or TO have visited
that city. without dining nj one OF the
Delmonico restaurants, would. few
years ago have been 10 have missed an
opportunity of shining before people
who bad never been In New York. II
would have been like leaving Philadel-
rhia without seeing the Mint. or Boston
without seeing the Common. or Chicago
without seeing Michigan boulevard. To
have dlned at any OF the Delmonlco
restaurants. when there were four OF
them. was something to talk about; to
have dined al the original Delmonlco, or
the Delmonico that since 1890, until
the other day. occupied the site OF the
first Delmonico restaurant, at Beaver
and william streets. was an experience
10 dilate upon, not only In conversa-
tlon, but In writing. and. when pos.
slble. In print. or all the Delmonico
restaurants. only one now remains,
namely. that at Fifth avenue and Forty
fourth street. and this Is conducted by
people not related To the Delmonlco
family. Delmonico has become merely
"A trade name.
John and Peter Delmonico arrived in
New York ninety years ago from Swift
zerland and had been in the city only
"A few weeks when they issued a cir
cuIar, In English and French. an
nounclng that they were prepared 10
supply holiday refreshments. fancy
cakes, and ices, at numbers 2l and 20
William street. This was the begin.
ming. Between December 10. 1927. and
the outbreak Of the, Civil war. the Del
monicos became known not only
throughout the length and breadth OF
the American continent, but In all other
parts of the globe that had sent tour
lists or travellers 20 the United States.
The little shop soon expanded into
cafe. and the cafe spread completely
over the premises. In 1886 the Del
monico brothers erected on the site a
four.story building. and. this proving
too contracted. they added section TO
IL. In 1890 these quarters were re.
placed by the eight-story structure that
has become familiar TO New Workers
and New York visitors OF this generation
as the Old Delmonico.
This was the Delmonico that for years
held the very cream of New York res
taurant patronage. It's branches on
Fifth avenue and Forty.fourth street.
at 20 Broad street. and at Chambers
street and Broadway. all in their day
drew high-class patronage but for sew
eral decades the place To go. II one really
was bent on going somewhere. was TO
the establishment at Beaver and WI.
liam streets.
There were many Delmonicos, con-
and in succession, and the
family was represented in the active
management of the restaurants until
a comparatively recent period. After
Peter and John came Lorenzo, then
Charles, and then younger set. named
Rosa, Lorenzo, Crist, Charles Crist and
Josephine Crist. These gave attention
to one or another OF the RESTAURANTS,
but finally the family interest declined
and new owners gained control. The
character of the business. however. has
always been maintained at a very high
standard.
The growth of New York itself had
much to do with the change that came
over the Old Delmonico in late years.
The city that knew the old place moved
away from Beaver and William streets,
and, besides. that terrible thing special
ization set in. While the population
continued until recently to afford a pay
ing custom, yet the patronage that nat.
urally would have fiocked to the Old
Delmonico twenty or thirty or forty
years ago was now scattered. Each
great group of business men had come
TO have it's dining club down town.
while the social clubs uptown multi.
piled.
Strangers were welcome in the Del
monico restaurants. although all of them
preserved an apparent air of exclusive
ness. 1t is told of the Delmonico sys
TEN that If a stranger should drop in
and order to his hearts content. and
at the conclusion express sorrow that
he had forgotten his pocketbook the
would smile ana, after asking
him to indorse his bill, courteously bow
the guest out. If the latter returned and
up in due time. all was well;
if he failed to do this, he would be re-
fused service thereafter, even though
he offered to pay in advance. The un-
written motto of the house of Delmonico
was, Every patron is assumed to be
a gentleman until he turns out to be
else"
Delmonico's first restaurant had a
place IN literature many years ago. At
one time or another nearly all the ia
NOUS British authors of the Victorian
period dined or were dined, within its
walls, and the verdict they passed upon
il. as recorded in their notes or memoirs,
was uniformly favorable.
The eight-story building that was once
the pride of Peter and John Delmonico,
of all New York, and of large part of
has now become the headquar
ters of the American Lloyds, and is
filled with marine offices. But 1t is
not likely that, for many years to come.
New York will be without a creditable
restaurant bearing the famous name.