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DELMONICO'S RESTAURANT

Lorenzo Delmonico was born in Marengo, Switzerland and was invited to join his uncles in their successful pastry shop and catering business in New York in 1831. He soon transformed the business into one of the first, best, most elegant and famous restaurants in the country - Delmonico's Restaurant. Lorenzo was not a chef, but he purchased the food and created the very extensive menu.

Both Chicken à la King and Lobster à la Newburg were created at New York's Delmonico's (1834 - 1923) In the 1830's, Delmonico's had a menu with 340 entrées, 11 soups, and 40 hors d'oeuvres.

The first printed American menu was issued in 1836 by New York's 5 year old Delmonico's Restaurant. One of its more expensive items is "hamburger steak" at 10 cents. Regular beefsteak, pork chops and fried fish are each 4 cents, roast beef, roast mutton and chicken stew are all 5 cents, and roast chicken is 10 cents.  Delmonico's menu is 12 pages long with over 350 dishes listed.