Looking at this 1910-ish postcard of Joel Rinaldo’s place on West 41st Street in New York City, you might be misled into thinking it was an elegant after-theatre spot. It was near Broadway and attracted all kinds of visitors but it was famous as a hangout for artists, writers, heavy drinkers, “hop-heads,” and Mexican revolutionaries. One of the most popular dishes at Joel’s was chili con carne, a dish not easily found in New York at that time. Joel himself had intellectual ambitions and wrote an obscure treatise against Darwin’s account of evolution called Rinaldo’s Polygeneric Theory.
The interesting thing about bohemian places like Joel’s was how they loosened up a middle class still under the spell of Victorian correctness. After a few hours in a heady atmosphere like this and they’d be talking to strangers (without even being introduced!), singing out loud, and ordering drinks all around.
© Jan Whitaker, 2008
We eat in restaurants several times a week and yet know very little about their history. I plan to dip into my archive of research and images every so often to present a little tidbit that highlights aspects of our American restaurant culture. Let me know your thoughts.
