A colleague recently introduced me to a treasure trove of information about American eating habits in the 19th and early 20th centuries: The Buttolph Collection of Menus. Housed at the New York Public Library, the collection was a gift of Miss Frank E. Buttolph (1850-1924). The earliest menu dates from 1843, and contributions after Miss Buttolph’s death bring it up to the modern age. Of the more than 25,000 thousand menus, more than half are from New York restaurants, with most dating from 1890 to 1910.
The 1843 Breakfast Menu at Astor House in New York follows a pattern that continued until the later part of the century: “Soup,” “Fish,” “Boiled” [meats], “Side Dishes,” “Vegetables,” “Roast” [meats], “Game” [meats], “Pastry,” “Dessert.” All but the categories of vegetables, pastry, and desserts were seafoods and meats—lots of meat—beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goose, and snipe.
