Recipes of the Lost City: Hampshire House's Veal Steak Saute Provencale

The Hampshire House was at 150 Central Park South. So you can sort of imagine the sort of folks who dined there. There were not of little means. It was famous for its interior decorations by famous designer Dorothy Draper. The chef at the time this recipe appeared (1950) was Maurice Lassauze. There were murals in the cocktail lounge by James Reynolds and Greeks heads in the corridor leading to the restaurant. Also, in general, "Smooth Smartness Beyond Criticism," according to a 1940 survey.

The building was begun in 1931, at the start of the Depression, and abandoned by its developers six months later. It was finished in 1938. First a hotel, it later became a co-op.



Here's a nice simple dish you could eat there 60 years ago:

Veal Steak Saute Provencale

2 6-oz. veal steaks

          Flour

4 oz. olive oil or butter

4 large mushrooms

1 clove garlic, crushed

6 oz. dry white wine

2 tomatoes, peeled and crushed

Roll steaks in flour and fry in olive oil or butter until brown on both sides; then remove from pan. Slice mushrooms into olive oil and fry 2 minutes before adding crush clove of garlic. Fry another minute, then pour in wine and simmer until it is absorbed. Stir tomatoes into mixture before adding veal. Simmer 10 minutes. Serves 2.

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