Life, 1929-04-05 · page 30 of 56
Life — April 5, 1929 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This piece satirizes wealthy Americans' wanderlust by arguing they needn't travel abroad: New York City itself contains ethnic neighborhoods replicating European experiences. The author (Russell Ziegfeld Patterson) suggests visiting restaurants and districts in Manhattan to simulate France, Italy, Germany, and Russia without expense or effort. The humor targets two things: first, the superficiality of "armchair tourism"—reducing entire nations to food and stereotypes. Second, it mocks the ethnic enclaves' authenticity, suggesting they're merely pale imitations ("gypping" included). References like Luchow's (a famous German restaurant on 14th Street) and Hoboken indicate real Manhattan establishments catering to immigrant communities. The accompanying cartoons depict diners in these ethnic restaurants, emphasizing the comic contrast between pretending to travel and remaining in New York. This reflects pre-WWII attitudes about immigrant neighborhoods as exotic-yet-accessible curiosities for American leisure.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
28 ras ot eS: World Tour HE Theme song for this week’s lecture with slides by Russell Ziegfeld Patterson, will be “World Weary” ...why travel? + why go to all the bother and ex- pense of getting new clothes and tickets, posing for a passport photo that will look like Gyp, the Blood, losing your savings in ship pools and bridge games, meeting a lot of Cook’s Tourists, getting sea- sick, going through all the agony of the Customs, when you can go all around the world without leaving the city? ... right here in little old New York you can find sections of nearly every European country, including Scandinavia and the Far East . . . you can get the same smells of foreign lands, the same sights, the same liquors, and the same gypping . . . and when you have finished you're only a few blocks from home! . . . All aboard! . . . All ashore that’s goin’ ashore! France! Seat yourself at the Brevoort, gaze out at the Washington Square Arch, look around you at all the Americans I HOBO“, and there you are right in Gay Paree! - wrap yourself around a Pate de Fois Gras... walk around the cor- ner to the Lafayette and uy a Tortue verte Clair (green turtle soup)... grab an old and rusty looking taxi, run up to Pierre’s and order Salmis de Faisans (pheasant) or a Vegetable pot- pourri, cooked in sausage broth... top it off with Crepe Suzettes at the Parisien... go up to the Richman Club and listen to Bordoni. Ttaly! Salute! ... Start at Frank & Jacks with a Martini and Green Noodles Mussolini . make another stop at Dragoni’s for another Martini and try the Chicken Scotti (Chicken, Sweetbreads and Spaghetti, browned) ... take a run down to Dante's or Papa Moneto's and look upon a dish of Scallops a la Romolo with Brocoli and red peppered noodle flakes with mushroom sauce... then up to Central Park ... hire a row- boat and pretend that you're in a gon- dola! Germany! Luchows ... Fourteenth Street «.. Sauerbraten mit Kartoffelkiossen (How do you like them apples!) which is sour pot roast with potato dumplings «or Pig’s Knuckles with Sauer- kraut and Mashed Potatoes and then top it off with Apple Strudle and Cheese Cake ...0n to Hoboken! . what more do you want? Russia! Vodka! .. . Vodka wel .. . takea taxi down to Fourteenth Street again, hollering HEY! every few minutes «. step into the Russian Kretchma and take a chance on Forschmack Dragomiroff (Chopped ham and mush- rooms on toast with cream sauce) ... if you feel real reckless let out another loud HEY! and order Shashlick Cau- casky (Leg of Lamb, spiced, pickled and broiled on spit) or Russian Sirniki (Fried pot cheese balls with sour cream) ... try the Balalaikas at the Kavkas or the Borscht at the Yar. The Ski batch yako Maced sticks ina! jon t Shrin | wher with {Yur Fo Zimr Ester | famo Bra: If be both the | fee | take Cala tinta comicbooks.com