You Are Invited to a Beefsteak

In 1939, The New Yorker’s Joseph Mitchell wrote an article called

 

“All you Can Hold For Five Bucks”

 

It described a feast of epic proportions known simply as a “Beefsteak.” A rite of gluttony that waged war on the livers of politicians and gangsters alike, the Beefsteak thrived in the saloons and political halls of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The menu was always the same — sliced steak served on toast, au jus or gravy, and all the beer you could drink.  Knives, forks, plates and napkins were forbidden. The life of the party was the guest who let out the most appreciative grunts, drank the most beer, and consumed the most steak. Sadly, the practice died out after World War II.

 

 

Simply put, we are bringing the Beefsteak back.

And it is our intention to revive this storied tradition and build a memorable party around it. (And to raise money for a worthy charity.)  We hope you will join us. But just remember the etiquette described by one party-goer quoted in 1939 — “When you go to a Beefsteak, you got to figure on eating and drinking until it comes of your ears.  Otherwise it would be bad manners.”

 

– Matt Selman, Cort Cass, Eric Wareheim, and Neal Fraser

 

(Read more about the rise and fall of the Beefsteak here).