New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1926-08-28
Dining While ON
EUROPEAN TRAIN
Traveller Describes Methods
Abroad
Methods

tinental dining car and that of the
United States are brought out in the
following bulletin from the Washing
ton, D. c., headquarters of the Ma
tional Geographic society.
1.-THE French dining car is divid-
ed into two compartments, one for
smokers and one for non-smokers, .
says the bulletin. In some of the
cars the aisle is in the center with
tables on each side, seating four
diners. In others the aisle is slightly
to one side of the middle, the tables
on one side seating six and on the
other, two. There is no la carte
service. The tiers know exactly
what you are going to have. and you
are hardly seated before they begin
rapid distribution of the food. The
service strikes you as extremely
slatterdash, but it is amazingly eff
ficient: and if you can forgive the
foods being virtually flung at you
(as many CAN'T you will admit that
It lis usually excellent in both quail
ty and preparation.
Bottles, Bottles, Everywhere
win you take your seat your
liable looks like the annex to a bar.
On It will be little forest of bot
ties; a cheap sour wine, more ex-
pensive dry wine. wines half-dry,
and sweet, red wines and white
wines, beer, perhaps a bottle OF
champagne, and one of mineral wa
Ter. II ordered, any of these will of
course be extra on the bill. Down the
aisle bustles the cars sommelller,
custodian of the bottled goods, paus-
ing expectantly at each table. If
diner indicates bottle. whether of
wine or water. he quickly lifts 1t,
draws the cork, and has the opened
bottle before the patron in the
twinkling of an eye. He carefully de-
posts the cork in a little basket or
plate: for through the corks the
government checks up on the bev-
erage sales and collects its tax. The
bottles net ordered at table are
Semo owed.
I'm front Of eat diner is a stack
OF three or four plates, another fac
tor In continental dining car service
which surprisethe American. Into
the top plate goes the food of the
first course. When you have finish
ed, this used plate is whisked away
almost magically by an attendant
who seems barely to pause at your
table. And the second plate has
hardly been exposed when waiter,
hard on the heels of the plate
snatcher, deposits on it the food of
the. second course. This procedure
continues until the last plate and the |
last course appear almost sinful
taneously. The walters do find time, |
however-Heaven knows how-to |
offer you second helpings of nearly |
every course.
"Ice Cream Carver"
when the bottom plate comes in |
TO view you usually find waiter |
standing beside you with a large |
pyramid of ice cream on platter |
held in one hand, while the other |
clutches heavy carving knife. Your
plate is lifted ;. hand (you don't
know which one), and poised near
the pyramid; down swishes the
knife. and slice of ice cream falls
into the exact mathematical center
of your plate Before you can figure
1t out a slab of identical thickness
has fallen into your neighbours plate,
and you get a confused idea of slices
falling all about you. If there is any
more expert and expeditions handler
of food than that unexpected figure.
the French ice cream carver the
writer has yet to make his acquaint-
Ance.
after the dessert is consumed,
coffee is offered you. You pay sew
eral francs extra for this. On the
heels of the coffee vender the SOM
mellier appears once more, this time
bearing a sheaf of liqueur bottles
rognac, Benedictine, Chartreuse-
and soliciting your purchase OF a
Machinelike Service
Last comes the cashier with a 4,
in box of change and pad of bill
forms. He scribbles out your bill
1urriedly, his eyes scanning your
able for empty bottles, coffee cups,
Ind liqueur glasses, his evidence for
extra charges. On each bill he sticks
he inevitable French revenue tax |
tamps, for which you also pay.
your bill paid, you find yourself 7
madly back to your conf
,artment, for the habit Of the last
of an hour hangs on. /
Europe may cayil all 1t wishes at t
he quick lunch counter of America, q
tut the French dining car actually
,aces its patrons to topmost speed g
: feeds an amazing number of peo- /
lie without a hitch; so perhaps the y
aachinelike service justifies itself
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