The other day, I was perusing Hotel News Now’s Twitter feed. This is something I do on a daily basis, and you’d be surprised how many story ideas crop up based on tweets I’ve seen throughout the day.
One of those ideas came from a recent Historic Hotels of America tweet.
Did you know that #historichotels member @WaldorfNYC not only invented the Waldorf Salad but also Eggs Benedict? https://t.co/kxZCqnsgKI — Historic Hotels (@HistoricHotelAm) February 1, 2016
In case you didn’t know, Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The membership program comprises mostly independently owned and operated historic hotels, and I have a feeling I’d love visiting them all. Because guess what? Millennials do like history (I had to fit in my one millennial reference).
Most of the time, I see historic hoteliers playing up their history within their city, famous people who stayed at the hotel or design details of the building. But I came across the above tweet and thought it’d be interesting to discuss some culinary firsts at historic hotels in the United States. And I think you’ll be as surprised as I was to learn some of these facts.
The Waldorf-Astoria in New York
We’ve all heard of the Waldorf salad (I think?). It’s a salad usually made of fresh apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce. With a name like that, it’s no surprise the Waldorf salad originated at the hotel. But did you know the hotel is also credited with creating everyone’s brunch favorite, Eggs Benedict?
Oscar Tschirky, who was the Waldorf's maître d'hôtel and developed or inspired many of its signature dishes, is widely credited with creating the recipe for the dish as well as the Waldorf salad.
Caribe Hilton
The Caribe Hilton is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1954, a bartender at the hotel spent three months coming up with what would soon be called a Piña Colada. For those who don’t know what this tasty beverage consists of, here’s the recipe: rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice.
The drink was first served to hotel guests on 15 August 1954. And I’m pretty sure it’s now one of the most popular summer drinks across the globe.
French Lick Springs Hotel
Quick history lesson on this hotel before we talk food: The French Lick Springs Hotel, located in French Lick, Indiana, is a historic resort hotel complex that opened in 1845 and is now part of the French Lick Resort Casino. Back in the day, the hotel would cater to those who came to partake in the advertised healing properties of the sulphur springs.
In 1917, the hotel found itself in a pickle when it ran out of orange juice. What’s the most logical thing to do? Come up with an alternative! Chef Louis Perrin served tomato juice in place of orange juice and therefore started the trend of drinking tomatoes (at least he’s credited with it).
The Brown Hotel
Ever heard of a “Hot Brown”? Me neither. But now that I’ve read about it, I might need to head to Kentucky to try one.
The Hot Brown, which was created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon covered in Mornay sauce (a Béchamel sauce with shredded or grated Gruyère cheese and egg yolk added) and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown.
Palmer House, A Hilton Hotel
I saved the best for last.
The Palmer House, located in Chicago’s Loop area, is credited with creating the brownie during the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. According to legend, Bertha Palmer, a prominent socialite whose husband owned the hotel, asked a pastry chef for a dessert suitable for ladies attending the event.
Enter the brownie, one of the best desserts of all time. Although I prefer my brownies without walnuts and an apricot glaze like the ones served at the Palmer House.
Do you know of any “culinary firsts” created at other hotels? Drop me a line or comment below. And thank you to Historic Hotels of America for the history lesson. I hope you learned something, too.
Email Samantha Worgull or find her on Twitter.
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