Included in the
Online Collection are 1940s Menus from Iconic Hotels like the Waldorf-Astoria and
The Plaza
Media Contact:
Stephan Hengst
Director of Communications
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu
Hyde Park, NY – Just in time for the holidays, The Culinary Institute of America
has opened its extensive archives to share vintage menus for Christmas and New
Year celebrations. The presents a selection of historical
holiday menus from the CIA's Menu Collection housed within the Conrad N. Hilton
Library at the Hyde Park, NY campus. Each menu reflects the way people
celebrated holidays in the past; encouraging diners to eat, drink, and be merry.
The design of each menu was often exquisitely illustrated,
reflecting the celebratory nature of the holiday. While the food selections
themselves are notable from a historic perspective, the actual art featured on
the menu is enough to captivate the true history lover. The menus include many familiar
offerings like plum pudding, but also other more unusual items like pickled
walnuts which may surprise.
Menus available for review include:
, New York City, December 25, 1949: This Christmas dinner menu for The
Plaza Restaurant in 1949 is printed on a single sheet decorated with blue
garland and bells, and yellow ornaments. The prix fixe menu included grapefruit
cocktail or oysters au raifort,
chicken soup Plaza, roast Maryland turkey with chestnut dressing, and Christmas
plum pudding or Santa Claus ice cream with fudge sauce and gaufrette Parisienne.
,
Paris, France, 1909: The popular restaurant was located at
the corner of
the Boulevards Saint-Denis and Strasbourg and was known for its wine,
entertainment, and food. The menu for this New Year's Eve celebration
featured Huîtres de Burnham, Consommé de Volaille en Tasse, Còtelette
d'Agneau, Volaille Truffée ou Pâté Fois Gras, Salade Russe, Mandarines
de Nice Glacées, Friandises, and Corbeilles de Fruits.
, New York City,
December 31, 1942: The cover of this New Year's Eve menu reflects the mood
in the country during World War II. Superimposed over an image of the grand
Waldorf-Astoria hotel is a woman who looks up and raises a glass of sparkling
champagne to a uniformed officer who is also superimposed above the hotel and
blue sky. Amongst their choices that evening on the fixed
price menu were smoked Virginia ham with Waldorf salad, or scrambled
eggs and country-style bacon.
The Culinary Institute of America's special collection of
30,000 menus includes menus from CIA restaurants, along with gifts
from major
menu collectors, including George Lang, Chapman S. Root, Vinnie Oakes,
Roy Andries de Groot, and the Smiley family of Mohonk Mountain House.
Assembled over decades, the
collection illustrates the history of dining in America and abroad,
with menus
from all of the states and more than 100 countries, as well as ships,
railroads, and airlines. Anyone interested in learning more about the
collection or locating specific menus should contact the staff at library@culinary.edu.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images
Photo 1: The
cover of this New Year's Eve menu reflects the mood in the country during World
War II. Superimposed over an image of the grand Waldorf-Astoria hotel is a
woman who looks up and raises a glass of sparkling champagne to a uniformed
officer who is also superimposed above the hotel and blue sky. (Photo credit: CIA)
Photo 2: This
Christmas dinner menu for The Plaza Restaurant in 1949 is printed on a single
sheet decorated with blue garland and bells, and yellow ornaments. The prix
fixe menu included grapefruit cocktail or oysters au raifort, chicken soup Plaza, roast Maryland turkey with
chestnut dressing, and Christmas plum pudding or Santa Claus ice cream with
fudge sauce and gaufrette Parisienne. (Photo credit: CIA)
Photo 3: Prosit Neujahr! Happy New Year!
This menu from on board the M. S. Fulda cover depicts a celebration with
fashionably-dressed party-goers, balloons, and streamers. (Photo credit: CIA)
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent,
not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with majors in
culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary science, as well as
certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. As the
world's premier culinary college, the CIA provides thought leadership in the
areas of health & wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines &
cultures through research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 45,000
alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz,
Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The CIA also offers courses for
professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services in support of
innovation for the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college has
campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore.
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