1953 Painted Desert Room Menu
This is the second in a series of eight souvenir menus issued by the Painted Desert Room at The Desert Inn throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s. The cover is "Engleman’s Prickly Pear" or "Echinocereus Boyce-Thompsonii.
The inside of the menu is dated Thursday, December 17, 1953 and features a show program on one side and dinner menu on the other.
Performing that evening was the Minsky Follies of 1954 starring comedian Paul Gilbert, Latin musicians the De La Rosa Quintet, comedians Maxie Furman & Company, The Du Waynes billed as "thrill-a-minute specialists," exotic dancer Helena Gardner, dancer Marcia Edgington, and the Donn Arden Dancers all accompanied by Carlton Hayes and his orchestra.
Dinner included: a choice of appetizers like Stuffed Celery Roquefort, Calf’s Brain en Marinade, Marinated Herring, or Fresh Shrimps; salad; choice of soup; entrees such as Louisiana Jumbo Frog Legs, Baked Pacific Jumbo Lobster, Breast of Long Island Duckling, or Broiled Double Prime French Lamb Chops to name a few; choice of vegetables; and choice of desserts.
The cost depended on your entrée of course by the highest priced thing on the menu is the Broiled Prime Filet Mignon at $6.75. The cheapest – Casserole of Tenderloin Tips Saute Bordelaise for $4.00 even.
At the top of the show guide part of the menu is a hand-written note – it reads: "Our trip to Las Vegas. Wonderful time." Wonderful is underlined three times.
The menu also came with newspaper clippings from the Los Angeles Times dated Friday, December 18, 1953. They are reviews of a Las Vegas concert at The Congo Room at The Sahara starring Marlene Dietrich.
A wonderful time, indeed.
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