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Vintage Eagle Restaurant American and Chinese Food Menu Union Square, NY Circa 1945Printed by: Wah Mei, New York
For hundreds of years, New York has been the melting pot of the world. As such, the food and customs of those who come to the city are shared, adapted and absorbed into a culture that is constantly evolving with every new wave of immigrants. One such adoption was Americanized Chinese food, which has become a touchstone of city life for a large segment of the population. For native New Yorkers, it is almost impossible to think of the city without recalling a visit (or, more likely, regular visits) to a favored Chinese food restaurant.
This menu is dated by the reference to \"Meatless Day\", which was part of the home front effort to support our service men and women in the final year of World War II by preserving a resource that was becoming scarce. I can\'t find any references to this business anywhere on the internet. Perhaps it didn\'t last very long. Thousands of restaurants go in and out of business every year in the city that doesn\'t sleep. But while Eagle Restaurant existed, it was located in a historic five story cast iron building built in 1881 (the Joseph J Little Building). The location infamously housed the headquarters of the Communist Party in the 1920\'s and 30\'s. Piano dealer Jeremiah Pelton also occupied some space there as well as several artists over the years such as William Michael Harnett, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Robert DeNiro\'s father lived next door as did Yasuo Kuniyoshi a well-regarded painter, photographer and printmaker. I can\'t help wondering if Mr. DeNiro ever stopped in for some Chicken Chop Suey or maybe a Special Egg Roll from time to time. I will probably never know. I do know that Eagle Restaurant existed in the mid-20th century and was a touchstone for some who lived and worked in the Union Square district of New York during a time of war. One of those people preserved this menu for over 80 years because of the sentiment this place evoked in them. That is why I preserved this item when it came into my possession. Now, I present it so that it may pass to its next caretaker.
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Condition: Acceptable / Some Material Loss / Stained & Soiled / All Text Visible
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