Delmonico’s at 44th and Fifth Avenue
The name Delmonico’s is still familiar to many, though the famous restaurant no longer exists.
From Timeshutter.com:
… restaurant on lower Fifth Avenue reflected the grandeur Delmonico’s is known for in both its furnishings and atmosphere. Silver chandeliers lit the first floor from a frescoed ceiling and sparkled in the mirrors that lined each interior wall. Furnished in mahogany, the main dining room was also faced with large plate glass windows and looked onto Fifth Avenue. Patrons were treated to the view of a miniature lawn, and across the street, the trees and flowerbeds of Madison Square. Around the corner on Broadway, was the men’s café and in between the two dining rooms, in the center of the Twenty-sixth Street side, was the main entrance.
The second floor hosted a richly decorated red and gold ballroom and four sumptuous private dining rooms, each decorated in different colors of satin. Supper and retiring rooms were also available on the second floor. More dining rooms, each in different styles and colors could be found on the third floor along with a large banquet hall. The fourth floor held lodger’s apartments and the top floor was home to the servants’ rooms, storage areas and the laundry. The kitchens were in the basement.
This grand location on Fifth Avenue was one of the final incarnations of Delmonico’s with continuity to the original. It closed as a result of changing dining habits due to Prohibition. A Delmonico’s steak simply was not the same when served with a glass of water.
Delmonico’s Menu 1885
This is a typical special occasion menu, given by the city Chamber of Commerce for the officers of the S.S. Isere on June 24, 1885. To see the original in more detail click here to go to the American Menu weblog.
