Exhibit looks at history of dining out in New York

NEW YORK -- Workers rush out to grab cheap lunches in crammed dining rooms. They stand, eat and hustle back to the office to resume their work.

It sounds like a typical lunch in today's New York. But it really describes the "eating houses" of New York City in the 1800s.

That's one of the surprising revelations in "New York Eats Out," an exhibit now open at the New York Public Library.

"New York Eats Out" traces the history of dining out from the opening of the legendary Delmonico's on the southern tip of Manhattan in 1827 to the 1960s, when Restaurant Associates emphasized American cuisine in modern settings and popularized "theme" restaurants.

Using mostly menus, photos and magazine articles from the library's own collection, the exhibit includes sections on high-style dining, popular dining, street vendors, Automats and even the cuisine served at the 1939-1940 World's Fair.

Diverse cuisines

"New York has always had the most diverse cuisines. New York has always had the cheapest and the most expensive, all thrown together in one mad mix," said the exhibit's curator, William Grimes, currently on leave as The New York Times' restaurant critic.

"When we think it's only recently that New York has evolved into a very cosmopolitan dining town, that's not so."

The exhibit opens with Delmonico's -- founded by two French-speaking Swiss brothers of Italian descent -- because it was the city's first real restaurant and became a model for high-style dining. Delmonico's was hard to get into; it didn't take reservations.

"If you were well-connected, you arranged private dinners in private rooms," Grimes said. "Otherwise, you had to stand and wait for a table."

The number of restaurants grew with the city's wealth and importance.

And following the city's progression up the island, Delmonico's moved northward, too, eventually locating at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street before Prohibition doomed it in 1923.

But long before then, eating establishments of almost every type and ethnicity were present in New York City.

Adventurous diners sought out Chinese food in the still-tiny Chinatown and Lebanese restaurants in Greenwich Village. German establishments were popular for company gatherings, and pizza was being served in places like Lombardi's grocery, although it only became hugely popular after the return of soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II.

Well into the 20th century, shellfish was one of the most prevalent items on menus. A menu on display from Libby's restaurant shows the almost 40 options diners had for having their oysters prepared, including fried in butter, fried in crumbs and "fancy fried."

In an emotional post script, the exhibit details the history of Windows on the World, the restaurant that was located at the top of the World Trade Center.

"New York Eats Out" will be on display on the third floor of the library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library until March 1, 2003.

Admission is free.