This is a hand-painted menu made by Tiffany & Co. from an unrecorded banquet at Delmonico's. Provenance: Chauncey Mitchell Depew (1834-1928); Marked: "Chauncey M. Depew" within the design; Signed in pencil on verso: Chauncey Depew, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Stuyvesant Fish, and 16 others. Menu dates within the three-year period of Chef Charles Ranhofer's absence, during which the kitchen at Delmonico's Madison Square location was run by Chef Eugene Laperruque.

Delmonico's garnered a reputation as one of America's top fine dining restaurants from the time it first opened in 1837 on William Street in lower Manhattan. The restaurant has been acclaimed as being the first one to use an a la carte menu and have a separate wine list. Several dishes allegedly were first served there including Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newberg, Baked Alaska, and possibly Manhattan Clam Chowder and Chicken A La King. Of course we have no doubts where Delmonico Potatoes and the Delmonico Steak originated.