|
|
THE ELEGANT ART OF DINING
Birth of the French Restaurant
French impression came strongly about this time, and the Poodle Dog, of
Paris, had its prototype at Bush and Dupont streets. This was one of the
earliest of the type known as "French Restaurants," and numerous
convivial parties of men and women found its private rooms convenient
for rendezvous. Old Pierre of later days, who was found dead out on the
Colma road some two years after the fire of 1906, was a waiter at the
Poodle Dog when it started, and by saving his tips and making good
investments he was able to open a similar restaurant at Stockton and
Market, which he called the Pup. The Pup was famous for its frogs' legs
a la poulette. In this venture Pierre had a partner, to whom he sold out
a few years later and then he opened the Tortoni in O'Farrell street,
which became one of the most famous of the pre-fire restaurants, its
table d'hote dinners being considered the best in the city. When Claus
Spreckels built the tall Spreckels building Pierre and his partner
opened the Call restaurant in the top stories. With the fire both of the
restaurants went out of existence, and the old proprietor of the Poodle
Dog having died, Pierre and a partner named Pon bought the place, and
for a year or so after the fire it was one of the best French
restaurants in the city. After Pierre's untimely death the restaurant
was merged with Bergez and Frank's, and is now in Bush street above
Kearny.
Much romance attached to Pierre, it being generally believed that he
belonged to a wealthy French family, because of his education, his
unfailing courtesy, his ready wit and his gentility. Pierre specialized
in fish cooked with wine, and as a favor to his patrons he would go to
the kitchen and prepare the dish with his own hands.
In O'Farrell street the Delmonico was one of the most famous of the
French restaurants until the fire. It was several stories high, and each
story contained private rooms. Carriages drove directly into the
building from the street and the occupants went by elevator to
soundproof rooms above, where they were served by discreet waiters.
The Poodle Dog, the Pup, Delmonico's, Jacques, Frank's, the Mint,
Bergez, Felix and Campi's are the connecting links between the fire and
the pioneer days. Some of them still carry the names and memories of the
old days. All were noted for their good dinners and remarkably low
prices.
Shortly after the fire Blanco, formerly connected with the old Poodle
Dog, opened a place in O'Farrell street, between Hyde and Larkin,
calling it "Blanco's." During the reconstruction period this was by far
the best restaurant in the city, and it is still one of the noted
places. Later Blanco opened a fine restaurant in Mason street, between
Turk and Eddy, reviving the old name of the Poodle Dog, and here all the
old traditions have been revived. Both of these savor of the old type of
French restaurants, catering to a class of quiet spenders who carefully
guard their indiscretions.
In the early '50s and '60s the most noted places were not considered
respectable enough for ladies, and at restaurants like the Three Trees,
in Dupont just above Bush street, ladies went into little private rooms
through an alley. Peter Job saw his opportunity and opened a restaurant
where special attention was paid to lady patrons, and shortly after the
New York restaurant, in Kearny street, did the same.
Merging the post-pioneer, era with the pre-fire era came the Maison
Doree, which became famous in many ways. It was noted for oysters a la
poulette, prepared after the following recipe:
Oysters a La Poulette
One-half cup butter, three tablespoons flour, yolks of three eggs. One
pint chicken stock (or veal), one tablespoonful lemon juice, one-eighth
teaspoon pepper, one level teaspoon salt. Beat the butter and flour
together until smooth and white. Then add salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Gradually pour boiling stock on this mixture and simmer for ten minutes.
Beat the yolks of eggs in a saucepan, gradually pouring the cooked sauce
upon them. Pour into a double boiler containing boiling water in lower
part of utensil. Stir the mixture for one and one-half minutes. Into
this put two dozen large oysters and let cook until edges curl up and
serve hot.
Captain Cropper, an old Marylander, had a restaurant that was much
patronized by good livers, and in addition to the usual Southern dishes
he specialized on terrapin a la Maryland, sending back to his native
State for the famous diamond-back terrapin. His recipe for this was as
follows:
Terrapin a La Maryland
Cut a terrapin in small pieces, about one inch long, after boiling it.
Put the pieces in a saute pan with two ounces of sweet butter, salt,
pepper, a very little celery salt, a pinch of paprika. Simmer for a few
minutes and then add one glass of sherry wine, which reduce to half by
boiling. Then add one cup of cream, bring to a boil and thicken with two
yolks of eggs mixed with a half cup of cream. Let it come to a near boil
and add half a glass of dry sherry and serve.
You may thicken the terrapin with the following mixture: Two raw yolks
of eggs, two boiled yolks of eggs, one ounce of butter, one ounce corn
starch. Rub together and pass through a fine sieve.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tony Oakes, the Hermitage, and Cornelius Stagg's were
noted road-houses where fine meals were served, but these are scarcely
to be considered as San Francisco Bohemian restaurants.
The Reception, on the corner of Sutter and Webb streets, which continued
up to the time of the fire, was noted for its terrapin specialties, but
it was rather malodorous and ladies who patronized it usually went in
through the Webb street entrance to keep from being seen. The old
Baldwin Hotel, which stood where the Flood building now stands, at the
corner of Market and Powell and which was destroyed by fire some
fourteen years ago, was the favorite resort of many of the noted men of
the West, and the grill had the distinction of being the best in San
Francisco at that time. The grill of the Old Palace Hotel was also of
highest order, and this was especially true of the Ladies' Grill which
was then, as now, noted for its artistic preparation of a wondrous
variety of good things.
Probably the most unique place of the pioneer and post-pioneer eras was
the Cobweb Palace, at Meiggs's Wharf, run by queer old Abe Warner. It
was a little ramshackle building extending back through two or three
rooms filled with all manner of old curios such as comes from sailing
vessels that go to different parts of the world. These curios were piled
indiscriminately everywhere, and there were boxes and barrels piled with
no regard whatever for regularity. This heterogeneous conglomeration was
covered with years of dust and cobwebs, hence the name. Around and over
these played bears, monkeys, parrots, cats, and dogs, and whatever sort
of bird or animal that could be accommodated until it had the appearance
of a small menagerie. Warner served crab in various ways and clams. In
the rear room, which was reached by a devious path through the debris,
he had a bar where he served the finest of imported liquors, French
brandy, Spanish wines, English ale, all in the original wood. He served
no ordinary liquor of any sort, saying that if anybody wanted whiskey
they could get it at any saloon. He catered to a class of men who knew
good liquors, and his place was a great resort for children, of whom he
was fond and who went there to see the animals. The frontispiece of this
book is from one of the few existing (if not the only one) photographs
of the place.
Equally unique, yet of higher standard, was the Palace of Art, run by
the Hackett brothers, in Post street near Market. Here were some of the
finest paintings and marble carvings to be found in the city, together
with beautiful hammered silver plaques and cups. Curios of all sorts
were displayed on the walls, and among them were many queer wood growths
showing odd shapes as well as odd colorings. A large and ornate bar
extended along one side of the immense room and tables were placed about
the room and in a balcony that ran along one side. Here meals were
served to both men and women, the latter being attracted by the artistic
display and unique character of the place. This was destroyed by the
fire and all the works of art lost.
The Elegant Art of Dining
Contents
Foreword
The Good Gray City
The Land of Bohemia
When the Gringo Came
Early Italian Impression
Birth of the French Restaurant
At the Cliff House
Some Italian Restaurants
Impress of Mexico
On the Barbary Coast
The City That Was Passes
Bohemia of the Present
As it is in Germany
In the Heart of Italy
A Breath of the Orient
Artistic Japan
Old and New Palace
At the Hotel St. Francis
Amid the Bright Lights
Around Little Italy
Where Fish Come In
Fish in Their Variety
Where Fish Abound
Some Food Variants
About Dining
Something About Cooking
Told in A Whisper
Out of Nothing
Paste Makes Waist
Tips and Tipping
The Mythical Land
A Good Bohemian Dinner
Restaurant Famous Recipes
Appendix (How to Serve Wines, Recipes)
Art of Dining Index
Mailing Lists
Forums
Webrings
Return to World Wide Cookbooks
|