Description

The Delmonico Room is named after Louis Fauchère´s friends and former employer, the Delmonico brothers who owned Delmonico´s restaurant in New York. Like Fauchère, the Delmonicos were French-speaking natives of Switzerland. Delmonico´s, which opened in the 1820s, was the first restaurant in America that offered a menu and was known for the quality of its cuisine. What today is thought of as “fine dining” in the early 19th century was available only in private homes or private clubs. A hotel might serve food, but it was simply as an accommodation for its guests. The Delmonico brothers brought to the US a trend that was emerging in Paris, that of the free-standing restaurant with a menu, where one could visit and order “a la carte” and where the establishment was known for the quality of its cuisine.
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Delmonico´s established one of the first truly American culinary traditions and introduced many dishes that are well-known today. They “invented” the hamburger as a sandwich, Lobster Newburg, Lobster Thermidor, potatoes au gratin, Eggs Benedict and, of course, the Delmonico cut of steak.

The Delmonico Room at the Hotel Fauchère, named as an homage to Louis Fauchère´s mentors, continues a creative culinary tradition today. A portrait of Louis Fauchère hangs prominently in the Delmonico Room, overseeing every dish served. A collection of menus from great restaurants in Europe from the 1920s is on display in the Delmonico Room. The menus were collected by Augustus Kiel, the “Marble King” on several grand tours.