The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-16
AS Pegler Sees 1t
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

countries. It has been so for many years,
but in order to apply the wasted quantity
usefully to the need OF hungry people
abroad we would have to reform our own
cooking and our eating habits. That would
take years if it were possible at all. 1t
isn't.
Public cookery in the United States is
the more offensive because it is needlessly
Dad. We have plenty of food and modern
equipment in the kitchens. The failure is
in the Indifference, the lack OF skill and
the ignorance of the people who run the
eating places. Through the influence OF
such saboteurs of good food extending over
years, the public has been psychologlcally
whipped into submission and no longer
even questions, much less complains. The
drugstore restaurant is a dreadful lnstltu-
ton, most of them manned by dirty, ILL
tempered churls who slap slop at their I'M
fortunate clients with the grace OF a TAR
mer swilling pigs. This evil grew out OF
the soda fountain, which began in a drug
store and therefore has been strongly lden-
titled with the retail drug business ever
since. In strange contrast to the oarteno-
or. the soda-ierk, which may be the origin
of the unpleasant slang word "jerk" mean
ing a jerk-in strange contrast to the bar
tender. the soda man always has been a
fellow of distinctly nasty disposition, serv-
ing drinks in dirty glasses and frequently
engaging in gossip or deliberately putter-
ing at the far end of the counter and
making the customers wait. When ne was
put in charge of the food which some mil
lions of people require IN a lew manu.es
during their lunch-period, and his dirty
habits were extended to contact with their
meals, his power of oppression was greatly
extended. The. bartender has much more
irving problems but he generally is courte-
Gus at least.
l am sure the department OF commerce
could come up with STATISTICS Whlcn Woulo
show that only in the past 40 years or so
have the Americans become dependent on
public restaurants. Like all unmatched,
Gradual developments, this one grew up
with bad faults. Workman, and student
who lived a distance from school formerly
carried their lunches. The preparation OF
| these lunches was a chore, although here
was a way to make good use OF the rest
of the Sunday roast which was a tradltlon
then but now, in the more abundant lite,
is only a memory. So the lunchroom flour
ished. Informality and haste were accept
cd for these were not fastidious custom
ers. Most of the lunchroom men were just
skillet cooks. You could get a scraWny
pork-chop between two layers OF bread LOT
a nickel. What more did you want! "A KISS!
We then had some really great tlrst-class
restaur ants in practically all OF our cues.
In the small towns the Greek ana u'e
chop suev Joint served fine T-bones tor a
quarter. There are only a few good places
in New York today. Their prices are I'M
thinkable to the greatest number, put sew
eral of them are the political, soclal ano
theological headquarters OF the new oeal.
Washington has few now and the only CUES
which are still noted for good restaurants
are San Francisco and new orleans
where. again., the majority OF the people
are excluded bv the prices. AS the business
grew enormously the quality improved
on1v in a few old chains. Some OF these are
now decadent.
In one of the great old hotel restaurants
in New York a captain OF Walters salu
that if he went back into that Kitchen ano
tried to tell the cook how to proll a Vea1
kidney. that bloodthirsty Caribbean Woulo
cut his heart out and try IL ana ea' IL NC
fore his very eyes. ...
ooh. it is terrible" he said. "Then, II we
fro him thew strike and the teamsters
won't deliver the groceries or the January
and the electricians will cross the wires IN
the elevators. I wouldn't order a veal KID
new if 1 were you. Take something that Is
ready" g.,
In another, the captain, an old frlend,
advised me to go somewhere else, J.. 1917 rao1
serve a decent drink out ne ~ooAoA
ommend the food.
We geo the meekness of the people, the
surrender to vulgarity in a function that
should be a sensitive pleasure, IN the un-
co,1th names of eating places. some are
actually called shanties, shacks and even
harms. It is not out of delicacy but merely
because nobody has happened to think OF
4 +hat we haven't some whose Moons pro-
claim them to be dumps. Nothing makes
us sick.
Recently / had business at West Point
and intended to lunch on the way. AS we
drove along, however,, I recalled many
njaces where I had had revolving expert
ences in years past. Others, on sight, could
he passed UP as no better. AT the place
finally chosen, a loathsome female with
filthy fingers tore herself away from the
radio long enough to serve us some luke
warm SOUP and some eggs fried in old
gear grease. Two planes of soup, which
might have been all right, warm, and four
eggs were destroyed. The hungry Eu-
ropeans might have been helped by this
food. but you could multiply this incident
bv a million every day in the United States
and nothing in President Humans plan
could reduce the waste. The cost, Incl
d~entally, was about 1.80, which should be
enough for some very decent food for two,
even now.
We know nothing about the preparation
taurant in Greenwich Village some years
ago served a limestone of vegetables and
meat broth which was a meal for any
hungry man. During the depression wom-
en- and children called at the back door
with pals and pitchers and old man Mort
gave away gallons of it every day. Now he
is long gone and another Italian friend
tells me he doesn't put minestrone on his
menu because one plate is a meal and he
y @A~--- 1900.