Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 23:49:41 EST

From: Larry Horn LHORN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU

Subject: Re: The Automat



Growing up in the New York of the 'Fifties, I took pride in all those Horn &

Hardart's Automats, even if the former was not an actual relation. Nickels

only, as I recall. I was especially fond of the pot pies, the franks and

beans, the fruit pies, and the way the whole glass and metal swivel

contraption worked when you put those nickels in... I also recall the rumor

that Philadelphia not only had their own Automats (as Ron Rabin confirms), but

that theirs may have been first. I have no idea whether that was true.

It was sad indeed to see them close their doors, one by one.



As to Russell King's parenthetical comment--



(And then there are the Korean delis which offer a slightly more

noodle-oriented version of Ponderosa's hot food bar except you pay by

the ounce instead of a set price -- a system that falls outside either

"cafeteria" or "buffet" in my language.)



--I've seen them in New York called buffets; I'm not sure why the term

wouldn't fit, however the price is determined. They're definitely not

cafeterias in my lexicon. Delis, maybe. (There's also a nice Mongolian

buffet near Grand Central, somewhere around 44th if anyone wants to do field

work.)



Larry