Subject: Re: Schrafft's or Schnapps
From: Tim O'Connor (oconnort@nyu.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 23 2000 - 22:43:29 GMT
On Wed, Aug 23, 2000 at 02:39:33PM +0100, Melinda Casino wrote:
> I don't have my books to hand, but in one of Salinger's short stories (I
> believe it's RHTRBC) a group of characters are in a car blocked by a
> parade and decide to go have a drink -- they try to go to "Schrafts"
> (sp?) but find it's been closed for refitting.
Yep -- Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters.
> I assume this was a real chain in New York in the 1940's? Is there
> anyone on the list who remembers it and can give me a little capsule
> history of it? When did it go out of business? What kind of place was
> it -- like a Denny's or more of a drugstore with a little soda fountain?
> I'd be interested in hearing anyone's memories...
It was a "classy" chain, a place where one could eat decently and
cheaply and (very important in a city) alone, without being looked at as
if one were a freak. It was also popular with little old ladies, at
least when I was a kid. Good sandwiches (Holden would have approved of
the grilled cheese) and soft drinks.
Schraft's is all gone now. I don't know when it all closed down. It
was there, then it wasn't.
It was always very clean and bright.
> I don't know why I'm interested, perhaps I'm fascinated by little bits
> of the 1940's that Salinger mentions which are foreign to me;
I love the period -- I always say I wish I could travel back in time and
see the NYC of the 1940s and early 50s.
> in CITR
> Holden mentions going into a train station diner or someplace like that
> and getting "egg creams" and cheese sandwiches. "Egg creams" sound
> awful to me -- anybody had one? :))
One of the best NYC drinks ever! Take a few squirts of chocolate syrup
in a tall glass. Pour about two fingers of whole milk. Fill to the rim
with very fresh seltzer. Stir gently. Gives you a big frothy head and
a refreshing drink, not too sweet (go easy on the syrup), not too
flimsy.
No eggs, no cream.
Sometimes I cheat and use vanilla cream soda + a little milk if I don't
have seltzer and syrup and I want a vanilla egg cream. But the classic
is the chocolate.
--tim
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