"The prologue to the story arguably starts in 19th-century California, back when cocktail sauce was a pairing for oysters. It's believed miners in the San Francisco area during the gold rush shot oysters with whiskey, horseradish, Tabasco sauce, vinegar, and ketchup. Over the decades, overconsumption of these mollusks led to oyster shortages, and people looked for other seafood options. By the mid-20th century, shrimp had become popular."
"In the 1950s, a group of Bay Area investors took over a Las Vegas hotel and casino and named it Golden Gate. And one of those business partners, Italo Ghelfi, set out to make shrimp cocktail a main attraction. It's thought Ghelfi missed the dish from his time in California, and presumably also recognized its crowd-pleasing appeal. He priced the Golden Gate's at just $0.50 in 1959, and the crowds sure did show up to gamble and feast on shrimp cocktail."
"Thanks to the eye-poppingly low price of Ghelfi's shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate, the dish became a major draw in Vegas. In today's money, that 1959 price of $0.50 would be about $5.46. That's still an unbelievable deal. These days, the dish can cost as much as $48 for a three-shrimp serving ($16 apiece) at some restaurants, according to an analysis by The Infatuation. The median price was about $22"
Cocktail sauce originated as a pairing for oysters in 19th-century California, where miners combined oysters with whiskey, horseradish, Tabasco, vinegar, and ketchup. Overconsumption of oysters produced shortages and prompted a shift to other seafood, with shrimp rising in popularity by the mid-20th century. Bay Area investors bought a Las Vegas property and named it Golden Gate. Partner Italo Ghelfi recreated the shrimp cocktail there and priced it at $0.50 in 1959, drawing large crowds. The 1959 price equals roughly $5.46 today. Contemporary restaurant prices for shrimp cocktail vary widely, sometimes reaching $48 for three shrimp, with a median near $22.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]