History
Firsts at Delmonico's Restaurant
By JOE O'CONNELL,
Food Writer
First posted 25 August 2001 at 1525 GMT
Last updated 30 November 2003 at 0256 GMT
NEW YORK, New York -- The history of
Delmonico's Restaurant in New York includes many firsts in the history
of cuisine.
This describes some of these "firsts".
Delmonico firsts
Before Delmonico's opened, diners ate at cafes and boarding houses
(inns), where the food was simply the food available that day from the
farms. Diners had no choice of dishes but ate the food that was
served. Delmonico's changed all that, including the following
firsts:
- The first diner called by the French name restaurant
- The first diner where guests sat at their own tables
- The first printed menu
- The first tablecloths
- The first debutante ball outside a private home
- The first restaurant to offer a leisurely lunch and dinner
- Oysters Rockefeller
- Lobster Newberg, first called Lobster Wenberg (see the
related story, as well as
Infopelase)
- Baked Alaska
- Eggs Benedict (according to
FoodTV and
Infoplease)
-
Delmonico potatoes
- Delmonico steak
- Hamburger (known then as the Hamburg Steak)
- First use of the expression that something is "86'd", since the
Delmonico Steak was item 86 on the menu and, when sold out, it was
"86'd" (according to the
Restaurant Report,
Foodudes and
Ask Dave))
Conclusion
Delmonico's Restaurant introduced many dishes and manners of dining
that have become commonplace todya.
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