"It's suppertime at Trader Vic's restaurant in Emeryville. About 30 people are in a backroom, about to try an oyster soup called "Bongo Bongo" that hasn't been served here since the time of Harry S. Truman. "We're gathered tonight because I happened to find this 1951 menu. I thought, 'Is there any way to delve into this for a dinner?'" says Carrie Tillie, a host of the gathering. "I'll pass it around, as long as you promise not to get barbecue stains on it.""
"The menu circles the room to appreciative murmurs. First course: Bongo Bongo Soup and Crab Rangoon. Second course and dessert: Lychee Chicken, Hot "Madras" Curry, Rum Ice Cream with Praline Sauce. "This is the real deal," murmurs one person, while another adds, "I just want these prices back again." The recent feast, whose theme was inspired by the random discovery of this menu, is the annual dinner of the Bay Area Culinary Historians."
At Trader Vic's in Emeryville thirty people gathered to taste Bongo Bongo oyster soup last served during Harry S. Truman's era. The 1951 menu guided a multi-course meal including Crab Rangoon, Lychee Chicken, Hot "Madras" Curry and Rum Ice Cream with Praline Sauce. The dinner cost $125 and sold out. The Bay Area Culinary Historians (BACH) researches and re-creates historic meals, previously staging a century-old Sam's Grill menu, an eighteen-course Victorian banquet from Mrs. Beeton, and an ancient Roman feast. BACH also organizes author talks, online symposiums and themed meetups.
Read at The Mercury News
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