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Before the Big Mac: Horn & Hardart Automats -by Valerie Wingfield, Manuscripts and Archives Division December 8, 2010
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From
Publishers
Weekly
In this wonderfully nostalgic trip, readers are taken to a place where
nickels slipped in a slot yield food from a little window in the wall;
where drinks pour from spigots in that same wall; where simple nutritious
meals and modest but satisfying desserts are the order of the day; where
a superb cup of coffee is always available. Philadelphia and New York
were lucky enough to have these cafeterias, which opened in 1902 and
closed in 1991. Diehl (The
Late Great Pennsylvania Station) and Hardart (great-granddaughter
of Automat co-founder Frank Hardart) trace the development of this unique
institution-a democratic eating establishment where one could sit at
a table with royalty, school kids, the homeless, businessmen, housewives
or show biz names. Founders Joe Horn and Frank Hardart knew the appeal
of their "nickel cup of coffee" and "ten cent piece of
pie." Recipes from the Art Deco chrome and glass servers include
staples such as Cream Spinach, Baked Beans, Pumpkin Pie, Beef and Noodles
with Burgundy Sauce and Mashed Turnips. The authors include interviews,
archival photos, and chapters on the various radio and television shows
Horn & Hardart inspired.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
