1903
“Lunch time, the streets fill once more. In New York nobody goes home in the middle of the day. They eat wherever they happen to be: at the office, while working, in clubs, and in cafeterias…In blue-collar restaurants, thousands of people eat standing up, with their hats on, all in a line, like horses in a stable. The food is fresh and appetizing, though, and prices are lower than ours. While lines of men dug into plates brimming with meatballs, others wait to take their place.”
Of course, not everyone who lived in the big cities had to work for a living. For those who could afford to spend more time and money on their midday meal, there were many fine restaurants that served lunch at a more leisurely pace. Two menus from New York in 1903 reveal the lunchtime experience at both ends of the social spectrum.
Despite the warnings to customers, the tough waiters at such places were not above reproach. For example, New York Times reported that two fights broke out at the same location of Mink’s on July 18 of that year, when a customer complained about being overcharged. In the first incident, an irate diner pulled out a revolver and threatened to shoot one of the waiters, causing everyone to dive for cover. After being hauled off to the police station, the man said he had been roughly treated by the waiters. Thirty minutes later, the police were called back to Mink’s, where they witnessed six waiters beating an African-American who also complained about being over-charged. Now realizing there was possibly another side to the story, the patrolmen arrested the badly-battered customer and one of the waiters, hoping this would bring an end to the violence.
Although the Café Martin was only a crosstown-block away from the Mink’s on Sixth Avenue, where the fights occurred, it was light years away in social terms. This fashionable restaurant opened in 1902 in Delmonico’s old location on Madison Square Park. The French cuisine at the Café Martin is reflected on the luncheon menu below, featuring dishes like bouillabaisse Marseillaise, terrine de foie gras de Strasbourg, and hochepot gantoise, a Belgian-style pot-au-feu made with beef, pork, and mutton. An extensive wine list is provided on the back. The Café Martin has only one notice on their bill of fare, informing guests that the lower-priced “half portions” could not be shared.
The prices at Café Martin were significantly higher. For instance, three lamb chops at Mink’s cost thirty-five cents, compared to seventy-five cents at Café Martin. However, basic economics were not the only factors that separated the classes in dining establishments. Other barriers included dress codes, social customs, the ability to read French on the menu, and having enough leisure time enjoy a long lunch.
3 comments:
Mink's is a really great menu. That kind is rare indeed.
Greetings Henry,
These are interesting menus and they attest to the culinary spectrum that was New York. Whether they were Scalopax Minor donned with French titles, or the true European woodcock properly hung, makes little difference. Indeed, a French connoisseur found little to criticize in the 'fast food' of those days. If it were only the same.
Interesting article....came across it in a search for menus for a history article I am researching and writing. Just a mention, my great uncle(along with his brothers and cousin) owned a lunch restaurant in New York City. It was called, 'The Richmond Co. Lunch Company', located at the foot of Whitehall St., directly across from the terminal for the Staten Island Ferry. Not sure if they had menus but if you ever come across one for said restaurant I would be very interested. Very nice article, enjoyed it and I have found some menu ideas for my article.
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