Picture this. It is San Francisco in 1875. The Civil War had come to a bloody end twelve years before. The City in those days was centered around the Ferry Building and grew outward from that point. Much of the town was nothing more than ramshackle buildings. A good number of the saloons and warehouses along the shore of the bay were really old sailing ships that had been hauled up from the water and remodeled. It was the Wild West. Towns were dusty and dirty. Paint was seldom used by anyone anywhere.
There were some exceptions, of course. Chinatown was nothing short of glorious. It was a wonderful place to be as far as family and nurturing and childhood are concerned, but it was also cramped and squalid and impoverished. The families in Chinatown didn't have much in the material sense, but they had a warmth of tradition and family that are still unequaled in most of today's San Francisco households. Chinatown was easily the prettiest place in the San Francisco of 1875. It was ablaze with red and gold. To outsiders it seemed that lion dances were weekly events and strings of firecrackers were forever being ignited.
The rest of San Francisco was pretty drab. Even the mansions on Rincon Hill (the elite address during the 1850's to 1870's, before Nob Hill came into fashion) were not as impressive as the Palace Hotel when it opened its doors in 1875.
It was such a stunning experience to walk into the Palace Hotel for the first time. One stepped out of a dusty John Wayne movie set into an absolutely spectacular European palace. It was grand and massive. Granite and polished marble, cut-glass chandeliers imported from Austria, deep burgundy red carpets, French furniture ... and on and on. It was opulent and magical. For many Californians it was the experience of a lifetime.
Guests arrived through the Garden Court entrance where carriages brought their passengers to the grand entrance through a U-shaped drive. The drive was known as the Garden Court. Once inside, admirers were awed by the hotel's four hydraulic elevators known as "rising rooms." Now guests could reach the hotel's top floors without effort. Each room was equipped with an electronic call button so that every guest's whim was met quickly and fulfilled completely.
Today the Garden Court is no longer the carriage entrance. The space is now enclosed in a magnificent stained-glass dome. It covers one of the world's most elegant restaurants - The Garden Court. With its incredible architecture and Austrian crystal chandeliers, The Garden Court became the site for some of the nation's most prestigious events.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson hosted two luncheons in support of the Versailles Treaty which ended World War I. In 1945, the official banquet honoring the opening session of the United Nations was held in The Garden Court.
So, if you have a particularly wonderful mother and if you want this to be the year you really show her that she really is royalty in your eyes, then make your reservations (if you still can) for the absolutely stunning and superb Mothers Day Grand Holiday Buffet at the Garden Court.
Mothers Day Grand Holiday Buffet
Sunday ~ May 13, 2007
Treat your Mother like Royalty at The Palace ...
Live Blues and Jazz Trio
Enjoy Mothers Day Grand Buffet
in
The Garden Court
May 13th, 2007
Enjoy the entire Garden Court
filled with a bountiful assortment of traditional Mothers Day fare
complete with all the trimmings and include:
Carving Stations
Oven Roasted Turkey, Roasted Baron of Beef and Honey Spiced Ham
Indulge
in an absolutely amazing assortment of dishes
Artistic displays of Italian Pastas,
Fresh Seafoods, Salads, Sushi,
Authentic Chinese Dim Sum
and
a vast assortment of temptingly rich and delicious desserts.
Special Children's Station
which will include:
Chicken Strips with Dipping Sauces, French Fries, and Salads
And for the Special Moment ...
Champagne is included to toast your Mother
Seating times:
10am-11am & 1:30pm - 2:30 pm
$98 per adult
*$58 per child (age 5-12)
(excludes tax and gratuity)
Reservations are Essential
For reservations please call:
1 comments:
I walk by the Palace Hotel every day on my way to and from work. I had no idea I was walking by so much history.
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