Evening star., 1937-04-18
you'll Call for a Time Table
Soon After Reading This
Account of What Awaits
Distinguished Visitors
to Crescent City
Restaurants.

1874, very great rarity, was served as
an after-dinner drink.
A VERY private, one-man luncheon
4 was given by President Taft to him.
self at Antoine's. He loved the tiny
river shrimp that are caught in the
Mississippi at New Orleans. Custom
arily they are served boiled in peppery
water, in their shells. The diner re-
moves them from their shells with his
own fingers. 1t can become tiresome
task.
II never yet got enough river shrimp
in my life" said President Taft to
Jules Alciatore. 1T wears me down
shucking them
You come to luncheon tomorrow,
said Jules Alciatore," and you'll never
be able to make that complaint again"
With the dawn, Jules bought SO
pounds Of river shrimp in their shells,
fresh at the Old French Market. They
were boiled and chilled. In the kitchen
men worked in relays. At last a great
salad bowl was piled high with
shucked river shrimp. Delicate, pep
perry, ice-cold, they we're set before
President Taft, some Or pounds OF
river shrimp meat that had been
shucked out of those so pounds in
their shells. And Taft emptied that
bowl at one sitting!
Had enough river shrimp for once
in your life, Mr.. PRESIDENT" asked
Jules.
President Taft nodded and smiled.
He was too full for utterance.
It was while Warren Gamaliel
Harding was President-elect that. he
visited New Orleans, en- route from
his famous tarpon-flshing trip at Point
Isabel, near Brownsville. Tex, to the
Panama Canal In New Orleans he
boarded the United Fruit Co. steamer
Parismina for Colon. But first he was
guest at luncheon given by New
Orleans leading citizens at the Grune-
wald Hotel. That menu has vanished
in the mists of the 16 years that have
followed, but not the episode that pre-
ceded it.
The presidential suite of the old
Grunewald Hotel was on the mezza-
nine floor, University place side, the
corner toward Canal street. There
Harding went before the luncheon.
Crowded in the suite were the Presl-
dent-elect and Mrs. Harding, Edward
Mclean, publisher of the Cincinnati
Inquirer and the Washington Post,
and Mrs. Mclean; DR.. Sawyer. per-
sonal physician to the Hardings; Joel
Mitchell Chapple, publisher of Heart
Throbs" and the National Magazine; all
the Harding encourage, and others, in
Guiding the reporter who wrote this
story. 1t was the Era of Prohibition,
but Harding had expressed the wish
for q drink Theodore Grunewald
owner of the hotel, who maintained
his residence there, had sent for
Scotch and soda from his personal Gel
lar. Most of the group were slipping
Scotch highballs appreciatively.
"Mr. Grunewald," said President
elect Harding, II was in New Orleans
a couple of years ago, very quietly, by
myself. Just United States Senator
from Ohio on vacation. On one of
your streets, Royal street, I think,
drank a cocktail with an odd name
I have forgotten. but flavor mover
forgot. 1t was the finest cocktail I ever
had in my l.fe."
WAS it , Sazerac, Mr.. President?"
asked Theodore Grunewald.
That's I'll" seid aarding.
"MR. PRESIDENT" said Theodore
Grunewald, this hotel Is my
personal residence. stocked my per-
sonal cellar before prohibition became
effective. have all the ingredients.
And one of the old Sazerac bartenders
works for me as waiter In this hotel
Would you care to taste aeRrac
again?"
II certainly would, Mr.. GruneN Id"
said Harding
Theodore Grunewald stepped the
room telephone and gave some quiet
orders. Less than Is minutes later
there was waiter with huge liver
tray of Sazeracs in old-fashioned bar
glasses The first was offered to res
ident-elect Harding. He slipped, nd a
slow smile widened on his face,
Med! joel" he called to EdEard
Mclean and Joe Mitchell Ch8pple,
who were on the other side Of the
room. Put down those highballs. Come
Continued on Sixth Pase.)