Looking Backward: New York, 1948

When I'm in need of escape, I often troll through my collection of vintage restaurant guides.  Today I'm taking a little journey through Lawton Mitchell's Knife and Fork in New York. 

It was 1948. Jackie Robinson had just broken into the major leagues. The subway carried two billion riders every year. And on Broadway, Marlon Brando was starring in A Streetcar Named Desire.

When the show was over, people might stop in for a bite at El Borracho:

Where they were sure to grab a few of these (in those days everybody smoked).

Beforehand, they might opt for a little tidbit at everybody's favorite deli (topped off, of course, with a piece of strawberry cheesecake):

In the mood for something unusual? There was always the possibility of the exotic tortilla.  Note the pencilled in prices!