"l not -l" > wrote in message
...
>
> On 26-Jan-2016, sf > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 26 Jan 2016 12:50:24 -0000, "Ophelia" >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > "MisterDiddyWahDiddy" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> > > https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...a-century-ago/
>> > >
>> >
>> > LOL some of those sounds awful)
>>
>> To be fair, they are mostly menus from fairly pretentious restaurants
>> (not everyday food), however that Fricassee of Calf's Feet was truly
>> gag worthy.
>>
>> The text ("One tendency that has almost totally vanished, for example,
>> was the practice of eating plates of raw vegetables as an appetizer.
>> For much of the 1900s, restaurant-goers would start their meal with
>> plate of celery, radishes and olives") did remind me of my
>> grandparents. When I was a child, they accompanied every lunch and
>> dinner with a plate of raw carrot and celery sticks - radishes in
>> season. No olives that I can remember, but maybe olives were winter
>> fare and I don't remember.
>
> That reminded me of one of my favorite eateries in LA - The Original
> Pantry.
> On every table and every few stools at the counter sat a bowl of radishes,
> carrot sticks and celery as a no-cost appetizer. Though I haven't been to
> LA since I retired a few years ago, the bowls of veg were always there in
> the 25 or so years I did go - I am confident they are still served.

We ate at a restaurant in Wisconsin and I saw some metal things on many of
the tables. They had a handle at the top and a lot of little bowls in them
of various things. I can't remember now what all was in there but there
were pickles, olives, raw veggies and maybe a coleslaw or pea salad or
something like that. I hadn't even looked at the menu yet but I told the
waitress that my daughter and I wanted to share one of those for sure. What
I didn't realize was that every table got one for no charge. She just kind
of looked at me weirdly, brought the two of us one and another one for my
husband. We then made the mistake of ordering meals. I think I just
ordered one thing for Angela and I to share but the portions were huge! We
got a basket of assorted breads for free too. And a free dessert was
included which we declined. Seriously, with all of that food we didn't even
*need* a meal. I think my husband made the mistake of ordering some sort of
appetizer as well. We just kind of sat there going... OMG! We couldn't
really take the leftovers with us either because we were in a motel with no
fridge. That was one of the better meals we ever ate though.