The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece (Hardcover)

~ Marianne Hardart (Author), Lorraine Diehl (Author) "Mention Horn & Hardart or the Automat to anyone who visited one, and you'll find yourself captivated by a flood of memories, all mouthwatering and..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York City, Joe Horn, Frank Hardart (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this wonderfully nostalgic trip, readers are taken to a place where nickels slipped in a slot yield food from a little window in the wall; where drinks pour from spigots in that same wall; where simple nutritious meals and modest but satisfying desserts are the order of the day; where a superb cup of coffee is always available. Philadelphia and New York were lucky enough to have these cafeterias, which opened in 1902 and closed in 1991. Diehl (The Late Great Pennsylvania Station) and Hardart (granddaughter of Automat co-founder Frank Hardart) trace the development of this unique institution-a democratic eating establishment where one could sit at a table with royalty, school kids, the homeless, businessmen, housewives or show biz names. Founders Joe Horn and Frank Hardart knew the appeal of their "nickel cup of coffee" and "ten cent piece of pie." Recipes from the Art Deco chrome and glass servers include staples such as Cream Spinach, Baked Beans, Pumpkin Pie, Beef and Noodles with Burgundy Sauce and Mashed Turnips. The authors include interviews, archival photos, and chapters on the various radio and television shows Horn & Hardart inspired.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

On the 100th birthday of Horn & Hardart, a look back at one of America’s most beloved institutions

A coin-operated glass-and-chrome wonder, Horn & Hardart’s Automats revolutionized the way Americans ate when they opened up in Philadelphia and New York in the early twentieth century. In a country where the industrial revolution had just taken hold, eating at a restaurant with self-serving vending machines rather than waitresses and Art Deco architecture instead of stuffy dining rooms was an unforgettable experience. The Automat served freshly made food for the price of a few coins, and no one made a better cup of coffee. By the peak of its popularity—from the Great Depression to the post-war years—the Automat was more than an inexpensive place to buy a good meal; it was a culinary treasure, a technical marvel, and an emblem of the times.

The Automat will take readers back to the days of Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth, Walter Winchell and Jack Benny, the Brooklyn Dodgers and shows at Radio City. Through beautiful archival photography, candid interviews, delicious recipes, and wonderfully evocative memorabilia, Lorraine Diehl and Marianne Hardart bring to life a time when a handful of nickels and the twist of a wrist bought a good square meal—Macaroni and Cheese, Boston Baked Beans, Chicken Pot Pie, Rice Pudding, and all the other favorites whose recipes are in these pages.

The Automat was a true American treasure, and here is its tribute.

“I have always thought that the Automat in New York has the best scrambled eggs in the world.” —Gregory Peck

“To have your own stack of nickels placed in your tiny hands; to be able to choose your own food, richly on display like museum pieces; to make quick and final decisions at the age of eight; this was a lesson in financial dealings that not even two years at the Wharton School could buy today.” —Neil Simon

“Oh, be still my heart! I used to shine shoes when I was fourteen years old. And when I was a little ahead, I would stop at Horn & Hardart.” —Tony Curtis

“I lived at the Automat. They had the greatest chocolate milk. When I moved to Philadelphia, I apportioned less than two dollars a day to eat on, and the Automat was the only place I could do it.” —Dick Clark

“I went to the Automat all the time. I grew up going to the Automat. The food was delicious. And it was wonderful.” —Woody Allen

“The first time I came to New York, I had a meal at the Automat. I had heard about the Automat, and I had to go see what it was all about.” —Leonard Nimoy

“I had the same lunch every day: three vegetables, a roll, and cocoa. All for twenty-five cents.” —Jerome Robbins

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (November 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609610740
• ISBN-13: 978-0609610749
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #315,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Legacy of Horn & Hardart, January 12, 2003

By	david kenny (New York) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent, well wriitten, and for the most part accurate picture of Horn & Hardart Automats, and their significant impact on the culinary habits of many its customers right up to its demise in New York in the early 1980's and its retrenchment to Philadelphia during that time period. What is inaccurate, is the representation that the last real company owned Automat, located at Third Avenue and 42nd Street closed in 1991. True, there was an entity operating under the trade name of Horn & Hardart at that location until 1991, but the restaurant was only a licensing arrangement, and the food served in the restaurant, such as Macaroni & Cheese, etc. were not the true Horn & Hardart recipies. The real Horn & Hardart recipies were available until 1991 at the only remaining Horn & Hardart Baking Company store, which was located in the Bala Cynward Shopping Center, as accurately described in the book as the last remaining Horn & Hardart location. Also, the recipies in the book, or at least the Macaroni and Cheese recipie, appears not to be authentic. Although the co-author, Marianne Hardart credits a nutritionist will assistance with the recipie, it appears that the recipie is not truly authentic, insofar key ingredients, such as crushed tomatoes and light cream are not included in the recipie. A much better recipie for Horn and Hardart's Macaroni and Cheese is as follows:

MACARONI AND CHEESE

1lb. Ziti Rigati 1/8 tsp. Red Pepper

6Tbs. Flour 1/8 tsp. White Pepper

6 Tbs. Butter 4Tbs. Light Cream

6 C. Milk 3C. Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2 tsp. Salt 1C. Crushed Tomatoes

2 tsp. Sugar

Boil ziti until barely cooked. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, blend in flour and cook 2 minutes.

Beat in the milk, then the cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir in the cheese until melted, then add the tomatoes, salt, sugar and two peppers.

Add cheese mixture to the ziti.

Pour into a baking pan and bake in a preheated 400* oven until top browns and bubbles.

**To Freeze: Pour into aluminum pans, seal and place in freezer. DO NOT BAKE BEFORE FREEZING.

**To Bake Frozen Macaroni and Cheese: Allow to defrost before baking. Uncover and place in 400* oven and bake until top is brown and bubbling.

I had hoped that this book, which had promised to include the "secret" Horn & Hardart recipies, which were under tight family control, would have been the actual "secret" recipies. However, despite these disappointments, this is an excellent book that gives a detailed history of an American Institution.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Automat Lives Again!, December 3, 2002

By A Customer

This is it! Finally, a history of Horn & Hardart, annotated and with many sharp, detailed photographs. While attractive and of very high quality, it's much more than a coffee table book.

There's lots of first-person anecdotes that fill in the blanks for me. There's a full account of how the business operated, from its humble beginnings to its unfortunate demise. The numbers are very impressive, both in terms of the number of Automats, and the number of people served daily in New York City and Philadelphia. The account of the operation of the main commissary is fascinating , especially the automation of the pie-baking.

But the personal recollections define what the Automats really were all about. The hot-water-and-ketchup-as-tomato-soup story is one I remember the most about how the Depression-era masses found refuge at the Automat. But this isn't all. The famous and the movie stars who frequented the Automats is another very special part of the story. Whether the Automat was part of the plot, or sometimes even the shooting location, you will love reading about it and seeing the beautiful photographs in the book.

Don't forget about the recipes. There's many original Horn & Hardart recipes in the book, even tested by a nutritionist! I will definitely try some of them. I recollect an orchard owner in upstate New York who would transport and sell his fresh produce directly to Horn & Hardart. I seem to recall that he told me they insisted on using real pumpkins for making their pumpkin pie, instead of using the easier ingredient of squash.

This book is the perfect antidote to the events of 9/11. I couldn't help but think how heartbroken and insulted all the gritty former Automat patrons were after witnessing how 9/11 forever changed their city.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to like, hard to read, January 11, 2003

By A Customer

As a one-time performer on the Horn & Hardart Children's Hour, I was pleased to see a chapter included on the longtime radio and TV production. I had forgotten all about Mr. and Mrs. Broza, the producers. I was also a regular diner at the Reading Station Automat when I was a kid, and the book really brought back some memories as well as providing lots of information about Horn & Hardart I never knew. It appears to be well-researched and honest, even covering the sad last days of the company, with their union troubles and hit-and-miss attempts to keep up with the market. The recipes are much simpler than I would have imagined, and I anticipate giving them a try. Criticisms: The book is wretchedly over-designed. Dense color screens over photos, opaque text boxes on top of photos, tiny typefaces in white over color or black backgrounds and too many frou-frou typefaces make it a challenge to read. The photos could have been bigger and better. Assuming the photos or illustrations exist somewhere, the book would have benefited from a closer look at the Automat vending machines themselves and the backstage areas, and I don't think there was a single one of the huge commissary kitchens where the food was actually prepared. The authors, for example, mention the unique dolphin coffee vending spouts repeatedly, but fail to provide a decent illustration or photo of one.