Your 1855 Dining Options

A hearty congratulations to Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz for reaching their funding goal on their Aquaponic Greenhouse Kickstarter for their upcoming restaurant, The Perennial!

Anthony and Karen were kind enough to come on Burrito Justice Radio on BFF.fm. We re-lived ancient Mission history with the heady days of Mission Street Food and Mission Chinese (while it’s hard to believe, carbon dating confirms this as having happened SIX YEARS AGO), along with details of the aquaponic greenhouse that will supply greens and fish to The Perennial.

Anthony & Karen were game to review a menu printed in an 1855 Daily Alta California. This Bill of Fare was for the Barnum House on Commercial Street.

You can listen to our assessment of the menu at the 94 minute mark, but Mr. Francois Martinez, Anthony Myint gives your menu the thumbs up: “This looks like an *awesome* restaurant.”

Many items that would do well at contemporary establishment. A couple of things stand out:

Lots of meat. No vegetables, unless you consider potatoes and onions vegetables. Bologna Sausage = hot dog.

EGGS WERE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE.

Apparently not many chickens came around the Horn, but notice that three eggs cost as much as a steak with truffles. 50 cents is at least $12 dollars adjusted for inflation — to be honest I suspect it would be even more given the hyperinflation of the time, and lack of supply and high demand. (If you were at last week’s Pop-Up Magazine, your heard about the Egg Wars on the Farallons.)

CHICKEN WAS EVEN MORE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE.

Pretty sure that says $2, which is about $50!

IMPORTANT INFLATIONARY UPDATE:

2014 Roast chicken has just breached peak-1855:

$84 at Tosca
$48 at Zuni’s.

IMPORTANT TOASTFLATIONARY UPDATE:

In the comments, @markasaurus notes that the bare bones 12¢ toast is pretty damn expensive, at about $3. But before you get all fourtdollartoasty on 1855, the 25¢ anchovy toast is SIX DOLLARS. Come on, 2014, get it together, 1855 is kicking your ass.

Also, FRESHLY COOKED ENGLISH MUFFINS.