Menus

Handwritten menu from March 13, 1908

This small collection of menus from Daisie's scrapbook presents an interesting portrait of American dining over 100 years ago. Daisie's menus range from formal to casual. A 1910 meal at the Plymouth Rock House consisted of 8 courses, starting with steamed clams and concluding with tapioca cream pudding. At a banquet in honor of President W. H. Taft, guests dined on "Toasted Zepherettes," lobster, and ice cream. Some of Daisie's menus are written on tree bark, most likely a tradition developed during her many visits to Vermont. Daisie's handwritten menus demonstrate a playful approach to food - the main course on one night was "Sirloin of Beef a la fire place." They also contain the names of foods now mysterious to us, such as "English Monkey" - a dish involving toast and cheese. Two menus seem to include a sentimental touch, an "H" and an upside-down "M" interlocked at the top of the page. These letters were the initials of Daisie Miller and her future husband, John Helyar.

Handwritten menu

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Plymouth Rock House menu for Friday June 24, 1910