A Grand Culinary Voyage: Exploring the 1926 SS Leviathan Farewell Dinner Menu

Discover the 1926 SS Leviathan Farewell Dinner Menu: A culinary voyage with gourmet selections, from Boiled Brook Trout Niçoise to Squab Chicken Bonne Femme. Explore historical insights for teachers, historians, and genealogists.

Front Cover of a Vintage Farewell Dinner Menu from Sunday, 26 September 1926 on board the SS Leviathan of the United States Lines featured Boiled Brook Trout, Sauce Niçoise, Boiled Potatoes, Roast Sirloin of Beef, Southern Style, and Pudding Milanaise, Strawberry Sauce for dessert. GGA Image ID # 1714a8f0b5

List of Officers

• Commander: Captain Herbert Hartley, U.S.N.R.
• Staff Commander: A. M. Moore, U.S.N.R.      
• Chief Engineer: J. J. Fagan
• Chief Purser: J. G. Summitt
• Chief Surgeon: Kirby Martin
• Chief Steward: Wm. J. Lynn

Diner d’Adieu Menu Items

APPETIZERS

• Celery     
• Olives     
• Salted Almonds
• Medaillons of Lobster, Tyrolienne

SOUPS

• Soup à la Windsor
• Consommé Julienne

FISH

• Boiled Brook Trout, Sauce Niçoise, Boiled Potatoes

ENTREES

• Roast Sirloin of Beef, Southern Style
• California Asparagus, Sauce Hollandaise
• Squab Chicken, Bonne Femme

SALADS

• Lettuce Salad, Russian Dressing
• Compote of Apricots

DESSERTS

• Pudding Milanaise, Strawberry Sauce
• Fancy Ice Cream         
• Vienna Tart

CHEESE & FRUITS

• Swiss and Roquefort Cheese with Crackers
• Fruit
• Nuts
• Table Raisins

COFFEE

• Tea
• Coffee

Menus Selections, Farewell Dinner Menu, PLClass Class on the SS Leviathan of the United States Lines, Sunday, 26 September 1926. GGA Image ID # 1715336cab

List of Senior Officers and Autographs, Farewell Dinner Menu, PLClass Class on the SS Leviathan of the United States Lines, Sunday, 26 September 1926. GGA Image ID # 171584099e

Back Cover, Farewell Dinner Menu, PLClass Class on the SS Leviathan of the United States Lines, Sunday, 26 September 1926. GGA Image ID # 1715eec69b

Recap and Summary of the SS Leviathan Farewell Dinner Menu – 26 September 1926

Introduction: A Taste of Transatlantic Elegance

The SS Leviathan, an icon of 1920s transatlantic luxury, presented its passengers with a grand culinary experience during the farewell dinner on 26 September 1926. The menu is more than a list of dishes; it reflects the era's social customs, culinary preferences, and ocean liner traditions. For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, this menu offers insights into passenger life, cultural influences on cuisine, and the sophistication of ocean travel in the early 20th century.

Featured Entrées: Culinary Stars of the Evening

Two standout entrées likely captured the attention of diners:

Boiled Brook Trout, Sauce Niçoise with Boiled Potatoes

Boiled Brook Trout: A freshwater delicacy prized for its tender texture and mild flavor.

Sauce Niçoise: A Mediterranean-style sauce made with olives, capers, tomatoes, and anchovies. For the typical American traveler, this French sauce may have seemed exotic, offering a hint of the Riviera's culinary influence.

Squab Chicken, Bonne Femme

Squab Chicken: A young pigeon, not commonly consumed in America outside high-end establishments.

Bonne Femme Style: Traditionally cooked with mushrooms, onions, bacon, and a rich white wine sauce. This dish brought continental flavors to passengers accustomed to simpler, meat-and-potatoes fare.

Special Items and Unusual Menu Choices

Several dishes might have puzzled American diners unfamiliar with European culinary terms:

Medaillons of Lobster, Tyrolienne: Medallions of lobster paired with a tangy Tyrolienne sauce—a variation of tartar sauce with herbs and mustard.

Soup à la Windsor: A British-inspired soup, possibly a rich, consommé-based broth with vegetables.

Pudding Milanaise, Strawberry Sauce: An Italian-influenced pudding with candied fruits and nuts, served with a fresh strawberry sauce.

Additionally, the presence of Roquefort cheese—a pungent blue cheese from France—may have surprised diners unfamiliar with strong, mold-ripened cheeses.

Insights into the 1920s Dining Experience

The structure of the meal reflects the multi-course tradition of fine dining, with appetizers, soups, fish, entrées, salads, desserts, cheeses, and fruits. The inclusion of gourmet touches like Swiss and Roquefort cheese, Vienna Tart, and compote of apricots indicates the ship's commitment to providing a high-quality, European-style dining experience.

The coffee and tea service after dessert aligned with the period's social customs, encouraging passengers to linger and socialize.

Historical and Educational Relevance

For teachers and students, this menu provides a practical example of culinary globalization and the influence of European cuisine on American tastes in the 1920s. Genealogists and historians can use it to infer socioeconomic status and cultural experiences of ancestors who traveled aboard these luxury liners.

Ocean travel enthusiasts can appreciate how ships like the Leviathan functioned as floating ambassadors of cultural exchange.

Conclusion: A Journey Through Taste

The SS Leviathan’s farewell dinner menu is a testament to the era's culinary sophistication and the ship's role in offering passengers more than transportation—it delivered an immersive cultural and sensory experience. From elegant appetizers to indulgent desserts, the meal reflects the vibrancy and international influence of ocean travel during the Roaring Twenties.