Evening star., 1942-01-19

honIy "cL~mvfe' ho VIC DisbEob
caterers to the sports world.
they serve millions and NIL
lions of people each year, and moro
than once they have served moro
than half q million eaters in one
day. Their dining rooms are to be
found at Churchill Downs and
Hialeah, Saratoga and the Yankee
Stadium, Belmont and Bowie, Pirn-
lico and Empire, and on and on
and on and on.
Any one Of the Stevens family
can look at man, woman or child
and tell him before he knows IL
himself what he is going to order
for lunch that day. I am quite
sure that they are singularly blessed
with microscopic eyes and can read
mans gastric setup from Is PAGES.
I sat down with Mr.. Frank. Mr..
Joe and young Harry at Hialeah the
other day and asked them how in
the world they did it. I happen 70
live in a household where trouble
often arises over the problem OF
feeding one man. This, despite the
fact that my caterer, young blond
who has had my hand in marriage
going on seven years, still can't
figure out what like and what I
don't like. Just as sure as the sun
rises in the east, l am going to get
those shoe-shined, quickly cooked
green beans once a week, when
have shouted from the roof tops
that the only kind of beans I like
are those that have been boiled
down in salt pork or a ham hook
for at least three hours.
What Is the Stevens formula for
happily feeding millions of people9
1t seemed easy when they explained.
They just happen to know what
Americans like. s
| What do you think is the sure-flre
dish to put before people in this
country? Corned beef and cabbage.
We are just Nation of Jiggses
and Maggies. Given a thousand
people to feed. the Stevens said, 50
per cent Of them will order corn
beef and cabbage
And what ranks. next with the
national palate? It's Irish stew.
Twenty five per cent of the thou
sand eaters will order this dish.
Fifteen per cent will 60 for
chicken in some form. The chicken
eaters are not particular. They will
spread their orders among fried,
broiled, la king and cold sliced.
The 10 per cent that is left will
order any Of the fancy dishes that
are on the menu. Some will go for
sweetbreads, some for crab meat au
gratin. some for liver and some
for lobster. =7'
The Stevens can follow this Taste
tape measure without any fear.
Geography means nothing. The peo-
pie Of Florida eat the same as the
people in Massachusetts.
Price means nothing. When a
mans hungrey, he eats what he
wants. The cheapest luncheon IS
no bigger seller than one that costs
twice as much.
At the race track, however, there
Is big difference in the food eaten
by the clubhouse and the grand
stand gourmets In the clubhouse.
most customers sit at table and
In the grandstand they grab a
quick bite standing up. So, the
grandstand boys and girlss demand
food that can be eaten with one
hand. leaving one hand free to
clutch the program, the Racing
Form, the pencil and the newspaper
selections. -.-
Everything would be lovely for
the Stevens If they could control
the weather. The elements affect
appetites sompin terrible. Man
does not eat the same when the
sun is out and the breezes are warm
as he does when the sun is behind
the clouds and the rain falls.
The Stevens have to keep two
sets OF cooks, one for hot weather
and one for cold A quick change
IN the weather around noon finds
the Stevens kitchen looking like a
road company from Bedlam. Hot
cooks are banging into cold cooks.
Clam chowder boys are clashing
with jellied bouillon experts Mousse
men come to blows with sizzling
platter authorities. But your order
always comes out Of chaos, and
just the way you wanted it. 14.7
This column has never gone in
for plugs for people. That is. until
now. But here is one for all the
Stevens:
There may be a nicer family in
this country, but it would take q
Stanley to find it. 77
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