The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-01
City Visitors
in New York
Get Pointers
Foreign Quarter Likely to
Arouse Interest Of
Travellers.
BY HELEN wORDEN
shines special Writer

Bl HELM hOhDE-"
shines special Writer
1TEW YORK. July lin visiting
y ~seys York. some indianapolis
persons may like the American ncte.
others. who remember IL as a COS
mopolitan city. might prefer the for
eign favor.
The Cafe Lafayette. at sth-st and
Unlversity-pl. gives a French touch
TO the Washington Square neigh
bOrhood.
Il has the air Of a Paris brasserie.
The black and white stone floors,
dark oak woodwork and wide. deep
windows. belong TO a more leisurely
age. The very tick Of the big, old
fashioned wall clock says, Don't
hurry. Don't hurryi"
Many speak Of the cafe as The
Game Room because neighbOrhOOd
chess. checker and domino players
collect in IL for local tournaments.
Others refer TO IL as the Corner
Cafe.
Tie menu is a Ia carte. If you
90 fO- luncheon. try the hOrs d'Ou-
vres. They are made like those
served at the BraSserie Universelle
in Paris. The pussin roti. Drowned
on a spit before an open charcoal
fire is also a specially Of Castor
Martin. the chef.
Occasionally. visitors are apt TO
confuse The Game Room" with the
general dining room. where meals
are served table dhote as vel as a
Ia carte The latter Is much more
formal and not nearly as much fun.
TIE old Lafayette is a hangover
Of the Gen. Grant period in archi-
lecture. It's gray brick walls and
white trimmings remind me Of the
left wing OF some southeastern Ohio
courthouse. a French innkeeper
built IL about 1870. He called it tbs
Hotel La Rue. Jean Baptiste Martin
bought the La Rue in 1880 and
changed the name TO Hotel Pan
anna. But this title was soon lost
in the more famous Cafe Martin.
Served Special Food
Artists. writers and musicians
Swarmed the little hotel To make
them happy. Martin installed The
Game Room" where they could sip
black coffee or brandy. swap yarns
over checker-bOards and read the
daily papers. The Corner Cafe be-
came immensely popular Special
food was served here TO privileged
patrons.
The headquarters for Bohemia be-
came the meeting place for FASH
ionable New York and J. B. Martin
the mower behind the social throne
from 1890 10 his death in 1915.
Those in his good graces had ring
side tables in The Game Room
In 1902, Mr.. Martin sold out to
RAYMOND Orteig and moved up 10
26th-st and Broadway, then the
heart Of New York
Mr.. Orteig. like Mr.. Martin, vas
French. The Lafayette has been
his life. Instead Of modifying Mr..
Martins policies. he has intensified
them. Those who cross the threshold
of the old Hotel Lafayette, step into
Little France.
Jean BaptiSte Martins head book
keeper was an industrious little red
whiskered fellow named Castor
Burlet. He worked for Mr.. Martin
I'D TO the day of the cafe owners
death.
He and his wife and little girl,
Germaine. lived in the West Twen-
ties-New York's French colony.
Nine. Burlet kept the boarding
house of the quarter. The French
chefs and head walters Of the town
made il their headquarters.
Martin died Prohibition came.
Nine. Burlet died. And CASTOR and
his little girl disappeared
REEVES Business
A year ago a small sign was hung
I'D over the entrance Of an old
brownstone front at ~ w. 55th-st-
II read. "GaStOn'S Ia Bonnie
Soupei'
The old Martin bOokkeeper had
returnedf Prohibition broke my
hearth" he told his friends. L
could not 60 on with my business
and not sell wine. and I could not
break the law. I went TO New Jer-
sew and raised chickens. Now pro-
hibition is over and ! am happy.
CASTOR writes his own menus IN
red ink with grand French -four
ishes. Germaine. who has grown
into a big. friendly. energetic glrl,
runs the restaurant In season,
persons stand IN line for tables. The
table d-hote dinner is 50 cents. A
glass Of wine Is > cents.
The Cafe lafayette and CASTOR s
a la Bonnie Soupe are the last OF the
French restaurants IN the old man
ner.