Of the old Mexican restaurants, those of us who can
look back to the days of a quarter of a century ago re-
member old Felipe and Maria, the Mexican couple who
kept the little place in the alley back of the old county
jail, off Broadway. Here one had to depend entirely
upon sentiment, or rather sentimentality, to be pleased.
The cooking was truly Mexican for it included the usual
Mexican disregard for dirt. Chattering monkeys and
parrots were hanging around the kitchen, peering into
pots and fingering viands, and they served to attract at-
tention from myriads of cockroaches that swarmed
about the walls. One could go to this place just on the
theory that one is willing to try anything once, but aside
from its picturesque old couple, and its Dantesque ap-
pearance, it offered nothing to induce a return unless it
was to entertain a friend.
30
SAN FRANCISCO
Everyone who lived in San Francisco before the fire
remembers Ricardo, he of the one eye, who served so
well at Luna's, on Vallejo and Du-
pont streets. Ricardo had but one IMPRESS
eye but he could see the wants of his OF
patrons much better than many of MEXICO
the later day waiters who have two.
Luna's brought fame to San Francisco and in more than
one novel of San Francisco life it was featured. Enter-
ing the place one came into the home life of the Luna
family, and reached the dining room through the par-
lor, where Mrs. Luna, busy with her drawn work, and
all the little Lunas and the neighbors and their children
foregathered in the window spaces behind the torn Not-
tingham curtains which partially concealed the interior
from passers on the street. The elder sons and daugh-
ters attended to the wants of those who fancied any of
the curios displayed in the long showcase that extended
from the door to the rear of the room.
Passing through this family group one came to the
curtained dining room proper, although there were a
number of tables in the family parlor to be used in case
of a rush of patrons. Luna's dinners were a feature of
the old San Francisco. They were strictly Mexican,
from the unpalatable soup (Mexicans do not under-
stand how to make good soup) to the "dulce" served at
the close of the meal. First came the appetizers in form
of thin slices of salami and of a peculiar Mexican
sausage, so extremely hot with chili pepino as to imme-
diately call for a drink of claret to assauge the burning.
Then came the soup which we experienced ones always
passed over. The salad of modern tables was replaced
by an enchilada, and then came either chili con carne
or chili con polle according to the day of the week,
Sundays having as the extra attraction the chili con
polio, or chicken with pepper. In place of bread they
served tortillas, which were rolled and used as a spoon
31
BOHEMIAN
or fork if one were so inclined. Following this w^as
what is known among unenlightened as "stuffed pep-
per," but which is called by the Span-
IMPRESS ish, from which country it gets its
OF name, "chili reinas." To signify the
MEXICO close of the meal came frijoles fritas
or fried beans, and these were fol-
lowed by the dessert consisting of some preserved fruit
or of a sweet tamale. Fifty cents paid the bill and a tip
of fifteen cents to Ricardo made him as happy and as
profuse with his thanks as the present day waiter on
receipt of half a dollar. ✪ Chili Reinas
Page 16 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Of the old Mexican restaurants, those of us who can look back to the days of a quarter of a century ago remember old Felipe and Maria, the Mexican couple who kept the little place in the alley back of the old county jail, off Broadway. Here one had to depend entirely upon sentiment, or rather sentimentality, to be pleased. The cooking was truly Mexican for it included the usual Mexican disregard for dirt. Chattering monkeys and parrots were hanging around the kitchen, peering into pots and fingering viands, and they served to attract attention from myriads of cockroaches that swarmed about the walls. One could go to this place just on the theory that one is willing to try anything once, but aside from its picturesque old couple, and its Dantesque appearance, it offered nothing to induce a return unless it was to entertain a friend.
Everyone who lived in San Francisco before the fire remembers Ricardo, he of the one eye, who served so well at Luna's, on Vallejo and Dupont streets. Ricardo had but one IMPRESS eye but he could see the wants of his OF
patrons much better than many of MEXICO the later day waiters who have two. Luna's brought fame to San Francisco and in more than one novel of San Francisco life it was featured. Entering the place one came into the home life of the Luna family, and reached the dining room through the parlor, where Mrs. Luna, busy with her drawn work, and all the little Lunas and the neighbors and their children foregathered in the window spaces behind the torn Nottingham curtains which partially concealed the interior from passers on the street. The elder sons and daughters attended to the wants of those who fancied any of the curios displayed in the long showcase that extended from the door to the rear of the room.
Passing through this family group one came to the curtained dining room proper, although there were a number of tables in the family parlor to be used in case of a rush of patrons. Luna's dinners were a feature of the old San Francisco. They were strictly Mexican, from the unpalatable soup (Mexicans do not understand how to make good soup) to the "dulce" served at the close of the meal. First came the appetizers in form of thin slices of salami and of a peculiar Mexican sausage, so extremely hot with chili picante as to immediately call for a drink of claret to assuage the burning. Then came the soup which we experienced ones always passed over. The salad of modern tables was replaced by an enchilada, and then came either chili con carne or chili con pollo according to the day of the week, Sundays having as the extra attraction the chili con pollo, or chicken with pepper. In place of bread they served tortillas, which were rolled and used as a spoon
or fork if one were so inclined. Following this was what is known among unenlightened as "stuffed pepper," but which is called by the Span- IMPRESS ish, from which country it gets its OF name, "chili reinas." To signify the
MEXICO close of the meal came frijoles fritas
or fried beans, and these were followed by the dessert consisting of some preserved fruit or of a sweet tamale. Fifty cents paid the bill and a tip of fifteen cents to Ricardo made him as happy and as profuse with his thanks as the present day waiter on receipt of half a dollar.
Records on this page
Chili Reinas