Posted on 07/28/2013 7:59:00 PM PDT by thecodont
As part of the traveling Alcatraz exhibit that is now on its premises, “Alcatraz: The Last Day” photo exhibition by Life Magazine photographer Leigh Wiener, the Embarcadero Center Hyatt is doing a a special Alcatraz themed dinner menu from August 8 through September 2. The actual three-course prix fixe menu ($28) includes dishes like clam chowder, meatloaf and “lettuce salad.” Plan accordingly everyone.
That promotion is all well and good, but we thought we’d take the opportunity to run a very cool menu from Alcatraz. Pictured below is a copy of the weekly Alcatraz menu from September 2 to September 8, 1946.
And oddly, it doesn’t look half bad. There are three solid meals a day, each mostly different from the day before; that’s more than most restaurants can say. Breakfast dishes include daily coffee, cereals and/or canned fruits; Thursday was hot griddle cake day. Later in the day, a daily changing soup was available alongside things like roast pork shoulder with sage dressing, chili con carne, corned beef with cabbage, and bacon jambalaya. They even had desserts like apricot pie (!), layer cakes, orange Jello and cupcakes.
(Excerpt) Read more at insidescoopsf.sfgate.com ...
From Wiki: Purée Mongole, also called Cream Mongole, is a creamed split pea-tomato soup of unknown origin.
Looks like they took the leftover split pea soup from the day before and dumped tomato soup into it for this culinary delight.
“And oddly, it doesn’t look half bad. There are three solid meals a day, each mostly different from the day before”
Today, if one can stay out of jail they can use their EBT card to buy steak and lobster.
I took a tour of Alcatraz several years ago. The tour guide explained that they served very good food there because the conditions were so horrible otherwise (cold and dank) that having good food made the prisoners less inclined to riot.
Yea but your not eating the menu your eating what your fellow inmates are cooking up there's the trick ! sometimes it don't even look edible let alone taste like what it's supposed to be !
I’ll have the Monday special and a window seat view of the
Bay. Also, a bottle of your best Napa Valley white.
Paula Deen’s, “Cookin’ From Da’ Joint”
First up, Alphabet Soup.
Serve up this chow at Gitmo and see what the inmates say.
Monday’s Supper seemed to guaranteed an explosive night!
Seems like a lot of entrees contained sauces or gravy. From what I’ve read, it was never a good idea in prison to order anything with a sauce or gravy. Apparently the cooks often added a little ‘something extra’ and personal to sauces and gravy.
“Hold the sauce, but can I get a cup of hot water and an OXO cube instead? Thank you!”
Based on some cookbooks I've read from the same era, it just seemed to be part of contemporary cuisine. Sauces and gravies were a way of dressing up bland food and making leftovers more appetizing. I didn't see "croquettes" on the menu but I fully expected to.
I seem to remember someone wanting to sell a Christmas dinner menu from Alcatraz on “Pawn Stars” a while back - I think it got turned down because of the usual “too unusual, no one will want to buy it” - maybe not such a good call......
Your expectation was correct: croquettes are on Wednesday’s supper menu.
Aha, thanks!
(Who makes croquettes these days?)
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