›› FOOD & DRiNK
The good, the ‘Mad’ and the hungry A look at Don Draper’s epicurism—from a woman who knows... by Pat Fu sco
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ince it first hit our screens, Mad Men has been a smash. No other series has so successfully captured the feel of an era, that period between the uptight ’50s and the swinging late ’60s. It has generated its own influence on fashion, decor and, of course, entertaining—bringing out kitsch and class alike. Many of the dining references are amusing, but miss the mark. Perhaps I’m more sensitive to the misses because I was around then, alive and well and very young in Manhattan, and I was involved in the world the story line covers: Madison Avenue, advertising, media. I knew the East Fifties as well as I knew my own uptown neighborhood; I knew the routines of those men (and the few women) who worked in that alcohol-fueled atmosphere. Yes, they did sit in smoke-filled offices when they were not at three-or-more martini lunches before an afternoon of creativity, followed by drinks after hours or in the club car on the way to the suburbs. One question circulating on the blogs this last month asked where Don Draper might have taken clients to dinner. On the show we have seen a re-created Lutece, that most authentic French restaurant with haute decor to match the haute cuisine. Its formal dining room glowing in flattering light and a sunroom that created what a contemporary critic called “faux summer year-round” was a favorite with moneyed regulars. They depended on the quality of its beef Wellington, mousseline of pike in lobster-scented cream sauce and frozen raspberry souffle with proper wines. It was a remaining bastion where menus without prices were given not only to women accompanied by men, but also to all guests of a host at the table. When Don and his date ordered chicken Kiev at Jimmy’s LaGrange, I had to look that one up to discover it was a celebrity gathering place (Sinatra, George Burns) where there was no menu; the owner went from table to table telling his customers what they would eat—often that signature dish. Those looking for an evening of lively cafe society met at Sherman Billingsley’s Stork Club, a magnet for show business stars and the literati. Favorites there were frogs’ legs, a selection of “Chinese Specialties” and baked Alaska for dessert. The indisputable ruler of expense account dining had to be the Four Seasons, with its outrageous prices, fountains, live plants to suit the time of year and nouvelle cuisine. It is still a symbol of power and money and attitude. I’m waiting to see if any of the Mad Men make it there. My feeling is that by the ’60s, Draper and his gang would have been moving on to
18 PACIFIC SUN AUGUST 20 - AUGUST 26, 2010
some alternative expense account destinations with glitzier and more daring settings, such as Maxwell’s Plum. An over-the-top carnival of a place with a Tiffany glass ceiling, it was designed so that diners could look down from a second level to watch the very active singles bar scene. Warner LeRoy (who would later create Tavern on the Green, another extravaganza) believed that people should be fed what they wanted when they wanted it—everything from chili to upscale dinners of wild boar. Skyscraper dining was another trend. The Rainbow Room was a longtime glamorous hangout for celebrities of all kinds, with a posh, slightly louche atmosphere (lots of red carpets and furnishings, candles on tables at windows overlooking the city), live music for dancing, great cocktails and Continental food. Along came Top of the Sixes, a slightly less exalted but popular aerie. I can’t remember the dining there, only the drinks, perhaps because it was a Stouffer’s enterprise with safe choices. Lunches were more diversified, when they weren’t strictly liquid. Where one ate depended on companions: Colleagues could head for the Brasserie in the gleaming Seagram’s Building with its informal French dishes (I can still recall its pissaladiere, the lusty Provencal flatbread). Gargantuan repasts were served at Keen’s Steakhouse on 36th Street, legendary cuts of aged beef and old-fashioned mutton chops with creamed spinach and parsleyed potatoes. When a lunch date was arranged with a secretary or model or any “other woman,” it was best to choose spots like the French Shack in the theater district or the Oyster Bar in Grand Central, places where bosses might not lunch, or Shun Lee Dynasty, one of the first upscale Chinese venues in Midtown. I know from personal experience that the publisher of one of the country’s greatest magazines had the same lunch every day: the hamburger from 21 Club. When he didn’t go there in person, he had it delivered to his office suite. It remains on the menu in 2010 as do several other 21 classics—steak tartare with rye toast, cornmeal-crusted crab cakes and Senegalese soup, a creamy curried chicken with tart green apples. Would I dine with Don Draper? In a heartbeat! But I believe that if I hoped to concentrate on the food, I should sup with gay gourmet Sal Romano (or even Joan Holloway). ●
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It seems appropriate to start the recipes with a cocktail formula, this one fashionably retro enough to please contemporary mixologists.
Stork Club Cocktail cktail
The boys from SSterling Cooper Draper Pryce will have the Lutece, please... tomatoes Lute
For each drink: 1-1/2 ounce gin 1/2ounce Triple Sec 1/4 ounce fresh limee juice 1/4 ounce fresh orange nge juice 1 dash Angostura bitters i ters
Place ingredients in cocktail shaker ker with cracked ice. Shake well, then strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a curl of orange peel. ------------------------Chef Andre Soltner created elaborate French meals at Lutece for many years, but he had a gift for celebrating simple foods as well. This recipe is a perfect one for August and a practical way for each person to enjoy a whole summery tomato.
Tomatoes Lutece Serves 8 8 firm ripe tomatoes, peeled 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar 2 teaspoons prepared mustard (Dijon)
Cut stem ends from tomatoes; slice each crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Re-form into tomato shapes and place in a shallow serving dish. Combine remaining ingredients in a small jar; cover. Shake well; pour dressing over tomatoes. Cover lightly. Let stand at room temperature at least 20 minutes before serving. Note: Each diner gets a reassembled tomato. Spoon some of the dressing over each serving. ------------------------Here is the legendary burger so beloved by the publishing mogul. It was served on a toasted bun made from Parker House roll dough.
Hamburger “21” Serves 4 1 cup finely diced celery tablespoons butter 6 tab pounds ground beef round 2 po eggs, beaten 2 eg 2 tteaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/ 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Saute celery in a small frying pan in 2 tablespoons of the butter until soft. Combine celery mixture, beef, eggs, salt, pepper, water and sauce in a large bowl, mix lightly until well blended. Shape into 4 large patties about 1-inch thick Saute gently in remaining butter in a large frying pan for 5 minutes on each side for medium, or until done to taste. Note: Today’s burger is served with frisee, sauteed onions and preserved tomatoes with a choice of potatoes and a side of haricots verts. ------------------------A bit ahead of its time, Maxwell’s Plum paid special attention to salads, going beyond the plain tossed green variety ubiquitous in the ’60s.
Maxwell Plum’s Spinach Salad Serves 6 1 pound fresh spinach (use the baby variety) 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/4 pound large white mushrooms, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse spinach thoroughly, drain well. Place in salad bowl. Add bacon and mushrooms. Just before serving, combine vinegar and oil; pour dressing over salad, toss to coat evenly. Season to taste. Serve immediately. ✹ Contact Pat at patfusco@sonic.net.
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