Comments on: My project http://victualling.wordpress.com Exploring American restaurants over the centuries Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:11:04 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Lou Greenstein http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-990 Lou Greenstein Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:49:44 +0000 #comment-990 Hello Jan: Don Lessor suggested that we get in touch. I enjoyed reviewing your Blog and links. I have a vast collection of menus, cook books and ephemera related to the subject of dining (eating and gluttony included)along with a gadget collection which numbers in the many thousands. Some gadgets date back to the 1700's. I frequently lecture using these items as fun and exciting thought provoking props. Remembering not all things are as they seem. I would enjoy touching base and sharing ideas. I have been published (Ala Carte A Tour Of Dining History,PBC International 1992) I have also collaborated on cookbooks at Mystic Seaport. I look forward to hearing from you. Lou Greenstein Hello Jan:
Don Lessor suggested that we get in touch. I enjoyed reviewing your Blog and links. I have a vast collection of menus, cook books and ephemera related to the subject of dining (eating and gluttony included)along with a gadget collection which numbers in the many thousands. Some gadgets date back to the 1700’s. I frequently lecture using these items as fun and exciting thought provoking props. Remembering not all things are as they seem.
I would enjoy touching base and sharing ideas. I have been published (Ala Carte A Tour Of Dining History,PBC International 1992) I have also collaborated on cookbooks at Mystic Seaport.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Lou Greenstein

]]> By: john mariani http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-452 john mariani Sun, 03 May 2009 13:48:18 +0000 #comment-452 Dear Ms Whitaker, as the author of "America Eats Out" (1991), I have very much enjoyed your website and can appreciate the research you have done. As for turning it into a book, I wish I could be of more help. My own book, which at the time was the only one to chronicle American food service from the Pilgrims through the end of the 20th century, did not sell particularly well and never went to paperback--a situation in no way helped by the usual sluggish publisher, whose marketing department my friend Ellen Brown calls "The Dept. of Sales Prevention." There have been some fast food histories, and "Fast Food Nation" sold very well indeed. But I just don't know if there is a market for the kind of serious research you have done at a time when food history has gotten more serious but is usually confined to a single subject like "Salt." But keep up the good work. You are a fount of info! John Mariani Dear Ms Whitaker, as the author of “America Eats Out” (1991), I have very much enjoyed your website and can appreciate the research you have done. As for turning it into a book, I wish I could be of more help. My own book, which at the time was the only one to chronicle American food service from the Pilgrims through the end of the 20th century, did not sell particularly well and never went to paperback–a situation in no way helped by the usual sluggish publisher, whose marketing department my friend Ellen Brown calls “The Dept. of Sales Prevention.” There have been some fast food histories, and “Fast Food Nation” sold very well indeed. But I just don’t know if there is a market for the kind of serious research you have done at a time when food history has gotten more serious but is usually confined to a single subject like “Salt.” But keep up the good work. You are a fount of info! John Mariani

]]> By: Ruth Elkin http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-350 Ruth Elkin Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:57:56 +0000 #comment-350 I love your site, and have copied book titles/authors from it that may help me find information I need. I'm writing because I'm having difficulty finding info about Boston restaurant and cafeteria chains from the late '1920s to the '50s. The reason? I interviewed a 97-year old man (who has since died), who was a Boston restauranteur in that period. I don't have time frames for his stories; in his late nineties, his mind couldn't accomplish that. That makes writing his life story for his nieces quite challenging. There are four major phases of his restaurant career: He started out in the kitchen of the Copley Plaza in 1923 and has wonderful stories of what he and the other employees did, some of what they served, what their standards were for food and glassware, how they bootlegged and more. He started his own restaurant in the late '20s (prix fixe but cheap), opened more in the '30s (late '20s?) until he had nine, then took over the failing Walton restaurant/cafeteria chain. I THINK this takeover was in the mid- to late-'30s, but it could have been postwar, for all I know. He mentions that he, the Waldorf chain, the Hayes-Bickford and Albiani groups met every few weeks to fix prices! The last, and I think longest-lasting phase of his career, was (adding to the restaurants) huge food-service operations for clients like Boston University. I don't feel comfortable mentioning this fellow's name here because of confidentiality (and the spelling changed at some point, adding to my problem) but would love to get an e-mail from you if you can point me toward any more books, articles or Web sites. Maybe you've even heard of him! Thanks a lot, Ruth Elkin I love your site, and have copied book titles/authors from it that may help me find information I need. I’m writing because I’m having difficulty finding info about Boston restaurant and cafeteria chains from the late ‘1920s to the ’50s. The reason? I interviewed a 97-year old man (who has since died), who was a Boston restauranteur in that period. I don’t have time frames for his stories; in his late nineties, his mind couldn’t accomplish that. That makes writing his life story for his nieces quite challenging. There are four major phases of his restaurant career: He started out in the kitchen of the Copley Plaza in 1923 and has wonderful stories of what he and the other employees did, some of what they served, what their standards were for food and glassware, how they bootlegged and more. He started his own restaurant in the late ’20s (prix fixe but cheap), opened more in the ’30s (late ’20s?) until he had nine, then took over the failing Walton restaurant/cafeteria chain. I THINK this takeover was in the mid- to late-’30s, but it could have been postwar, for all I know. He mentions that he, the Waldorf chain, the Hayes-Bickford and Albiani groups met every few weeks to fix prices! The last, and I think longest-lasting phase of his career, was (adding to the restaurants) huge food-service operations for clients like Boston University. I don’t feel comfortable mentioning this fellow’s name here because of confidentiality (and the spelling changed at some point, adding to my problem) but would love to get an e-mail from you if you can point me toward any more books, articles or Web sites. Maybe you’ve even heard of him! Thanks a lot, Ruth Elkin

]]> By: Suzan Schaefer http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-312 Suzan Schaefer Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:04:16 +0000 #comment-312 I am searching for a menu from a restaurant in the Village in NYC that existed in the 1960's. It was on the corner of 6th Avenue and west 10th street (just across from the library). It was called something like Arte Sandwiches and had the most wonderful, inventive sandwich menu. Would love to get a hold of one. It's not in the NYC library collection of menus. Do you know anything about it? Thanks. Love your site. I am searching for a menu from a restaurant in the Village in NYC that existed in the 1960’s. It was on the corner of 6th Avenue and west 10th street (just across from the library). It was called something like Arte Sandwiches and had the most wonderful, inventive sandwich menu. Would love to get a hold of one. It’s not in the NYC library collection of menus. Do you know anything about it?

Thanks. Love your site.

]]> By: victualling http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-242 victualling Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:13:19 +0000 #comment-242 Kevin -- Not offhand, but I would suggest looking on e-Bay. Good luck. -- Jan Kevin — Not offhand, but I would suggest looking on e-Bay. Good luck. — Jan

]]> By: kevin http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-241 kevin Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:48:28 +0000 #comment-241 Hi There -- i am looking for images of old, b&w fotos of italians eating in a large group. The foto(s) would be for personal use. Do you have any or know where I could find them? Many thanks. Hi There — i am looking for images of old, b&w fotos of italians eating in a large group. The foto(s) would be for personal use. Do you have any or know where I could find them? Many thanks.

]]> By: Marianne Clancy http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-226 Marianne Clancy Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:38:33 +0000 #comment-226 HI! love this blog and happened upon it only because as a photo researcher I have come across a marvelous album belonging to the family who owned 9Owls tea room in Pembroke Mass. I have over 600 photos and many are of the people and inside of the restaurant. Your blog is facinating and as the mother of a young woman who opened her first restaurant in Mexico as a single mother and later catered Barbara Streisand and Donna Karan for a week in Cabo I am very proud to say that restaurants are "in our family" until last month when my daughters 3rd succesful restaurant was closed in Eugene Oregon due to the economy. I cannot wait to send her a link to your site. If interested in the 9 owls photos and you might like some, email me and I will send a link to you when they are posted.. all the best.. Marianne HI! love this blog and happened upon it only because as a photo researcher I have come across a marvelous album belonging to the family who owned 9Owls tea room in Pembroke Mass. I have over 600 photos and many are of the people and inside of the restaurant. Your blog is facinating and as the mother of a young woman who opened her first restaurant in Mexico as a single mother and later catered Barbara Streisand and Donna Karan for a week in Cabo I am very proud to say that restaurants are “in our family” until last month when my daughters 3rd succesful restaurant was closed in Eugene Oregon due to the economy. I cannot wait to send her a link to your site. If interested in the 9 owls photos and you might like some, email me and I will send a link to you when they are posted.. all the best.. Marianne

]]> By: Paul Freedman http://victualling.wordpress.com/about/#comment-70 Paul Freedman Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:21:29 +0000 #comment-70 Dear Ms. Whitaker, I admire what you've done with this fascinating site--- congratulations. I'm particularly interested in restaurant menus of the mid-19th century and looking at what kind of food was featured at elegant restaurants particularly hotel restaurants. I have a post on gourmet.com on the oldest menu in the NY Public Library collection (funnily enough entitled by the web-editors "Ladies Who Lunched") which is from the Ladies' Ordinary at the hotel. I wonder if you know of collections or other resources that include or describe menus from the 1840s - 1860s? A private collector in Delaware, Mr. Henry Voigt, has a couple of menus from Southern hotel restaurants during the Civil War and its sobering to contrast their meager offerings with the opulence of NYC restaurants at the same time. Have you ever come across menus from such restaurants in the South from this period? Dear Ms. Whitaker,
I admire what you’ve done with this fascinating site— congratulations. I’m particularly interested in restaurant menus of the mid-19th century and looking at what kind of food was featured at elegant restaurants particularly hotel restaurants. I have a post on gourmet.com on the oldest menu in the NY Public Library collection (funnily enough entitled by the web-editors “Ladies Who Lunched”) which is from the Ladies’ Ordinary at the hotel. I wonder if you know of collections or other resources that include or describe menus from the 1840s – 1860s? A private collector in Delaware, Mr. Henry Voigt, has a couple of menus from Southern hotel restaurants during the Civil War and its sobering to contrast their meager offerings with the opulence of NYC restaurants at the same time. Have you ever come across menus from such restaurants in the South from this period?

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