This little work is written for the progressive element in the hotel and restaurant profession because of the fact that the menus and bills of fare are to a great extent neither intelligible for the server nor the served... (from the preface)

{HISTORY}

There's nuance to naming things on a menu. Just like naming a recipe for the first time, you want to make it appealing enough to draw someone in but not too descriptive that they'll be confused or move right past it uninterested. 

The 1920s was a big turning point when it came to restaurant dining. Gone was the old-fashioned fancy Victorian meal with its numerous courses and dishes and proprieties. Something simpler was on the minds of eaters and restaurateurs and hoteliers in the dawn of the 20th century's second decade. Something a little more modern and quick and to the point. That's where this menu planning book comes in.

Written by L. Schumacher in 1920, The Art of Naming Dishes is a how-to manual that encouraged efficiency, accuracy and hospitality. It encouraged clear and concise menu descriptions so that diners would feel at ease knowing they would be served exactly what they thought they had ordered. And it had waitstaff and servers in mind, when it stressed clearly articulating ingredients and preaparton methods in the menu item descriptions so that a million questions wouldn't not be asked of the server and they could quickly take care of their tables without getting bogged down in conversation.  

You'd think that menu planning would be a simple thing,  but read through the pages of this book and you'll discover all the pitfalls that could await should bills of fare not totally be thought out. 

A fun piece of culinary history, this book would have been read in the 1920s by chefs, restaurant owners, maitre d's, and general managers. Today it's interesting to read for the situational stories, the culinary vernacular, the types of food discussed, and the translation guides of French, German, English, and Spanish foods. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- First Edition published in 1920 by the Culinary Publishing Company, New York

- 160 pages including a section of blank Memoranda pages for note taking

{CONDITION}

In lovely antique condition. The cover bears some fading on front and back due to age The interior is clean and bright. And all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 9" inches (length)  x 6.25 (width)  x.5" inches (thickness) and weighs 1 lb.