I while back, I wrote something about Steuben's, a mini-chain of Germanic bar and restaurants. One location used to be a staple around Times Square. A reader saw it and sent me these images of a Steuben's souvenir "car plaque." You were evidently supposed to "hang this in your car."
The reader rightly assumed the object came from before Prohibition. Like, right before Prohibition. "Write your Congressman that you want beer," charges Steuben Taverns, which were "made famous by its Beer Dinner." It also cheers for "Beer for Prosperity." Steuben's lost the battle, obviously. But someone managed to stay open until Repeal and long afterwards.
I love it when readers send me stuff!
UPDATE: A reader writes "This is from the New York Beer Parade, May 14, 1932." So it not from before Prohibition, but from the tail end of Prohibition.
This is from the New York Beer Parade, May 14, 1932.
ReplyDeleteSteuben's used to be the hangout for
ReplyDeletethe ROTC's from Xavier HS; went there in the early 70's with a good
friend who was going to Xaviers.
My main recollection was that it was
dark and Teutonic looking...
Beer Dinner? Love it! Reminds me of the old anti-Irish joke......
ReplyDeleteWhat's an Irish 7 course dinner?
A six pack and a potato.
Does anyone know what was included in the "beer dinner"??
Hmmm....on second thought I think I'll take a stab at answering my own question.....from my limited research it looks as though a "beer dinner" is composed of about five courses paired with 5 different beers. These days. I've no idea how Steubens ran theirs. And now for a New Yorkie twist.....Food and Wine magazine has an article about the "greatest beer dinner ever" (really? EVER? Like even 600 years in the future? I mean "ever" means "ever", right? But enough griping about silly headline writers...), which was of course in NYC. The place....11 Madison Park. The beers.....Brooklyn Brewery. One of the highlights was fois gras terrine paired with a beer that was first brewed in 08 and then aged in used Woodford Resesrve bourbon barrels, after which it was removed and re-fermented with a very special Belgian yeast...I think the latin for that strain is Herculesean Poirotean. Three years in the making......that must have been one expensive brew.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to read about this collision between foodies and beeries....check it out here:
http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/mouthing-off/2011/7/19/nycs-greatest-beer-dinner-ever