1. A cool now-and-then pic of a building on W. 72nd Street that used to be an Automat, courtesy of Landmarks West!. A few of their summer interns came to visit Lunch Hour NYC, where we have a restored Automat machine on display, and were inspired to write a very kind blog post. Glad you loved the exhibition!

    A cool now-and-then pic of a building on W. 72nd Street that used to be an Automat, courtesy of Landmarks West!. A few of their summer interns came to visit Lunch Hour NYC, where we have a restored Automat machine on display, and were inspired to write a very kind blog post. Glad you loved the exhibition!

  2. One of the fun parts of the Library’s new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, which opens tomorrow, is the Automat machine, which has been restored in all its Art-Deco splendor. Visitors are allowed to open up the doors just like the old days, but instead of putting in a nickle and taking out a piece of pie, you open the door and take out a recipe card. The recipes are scaled-down versions of the actual recipes used by the Horn and Hardart company. One of us made the Automat’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese the other day. Our husband accidentally bought corkscrew noodles instead of elbow, but otherwise we did just as instructed, and it turned out great. Try it for yourself: Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Horn & Hardart’s Automat 1/4 lb elbow macaroni1 1/2 tbsp butter1 1/2 tbsp flour1/2 tsp saltdash white pepperdash red pepper1 1/2 cups milk2 tbsp light cream1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded1/2 cup canned tomatoes, diced1/2 tsp sugar Cook macaroni according to directions on the package. Preheat oven to 400 deg. Melt butter in the top of a double boiler. Blend flour, salt, and white and red pepper in gradually. When smooth, add milk and cream, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Add cheese and continue to heat until it melts and the sauce looks smooth. Remove from heat. Add cooked macaroni to the sauce. Add sugar to tomatoes and add to the sauce. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake until the surface browns. Serves 4. (We must add: serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main.)

    One of the fun parts of the Library’s new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, which opens tomorrow, is the Automat machine, which has been restored in all its Art-Deco splendor. Visitors are allowed to open up the doors just like the old days, but instead of putting in a nickle and taking out a piece of pie, you open the door and take out a recipe card. The recipes are scaled-down versions of the actual recipes used by the Horn and Hardart company.

    One of us made the Automat’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese the other day. Our husband accidentally bought corkscrew noodles instead of elbow, but otherwise we did just as instructed, and it turned out great. Try it for yourself:

    Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Horn & Hardart’s Automat

    1/4 lb elbow macaroni
    1 1/2 tbsp butter
    1 1/2 tbsp flour
    1/2 tsp salt
    dash white pepper
    dash red pepper
    1 1/2 cups milk
    2 tbsp light cream
    1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
    1/2 cup canned tomatoes, diced
    1/2 tsp sugar

    Cook macaroni according to directions on the package. Preheat oven to 400 deg.

    Melt butter in the top of a double boiler. Blend flour, salt, and white and red pepper in gradually. When smooth, add milk and cream, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until it thickens.

    Add cheese and continue to heat until it melts and the sauce looks smooth. Remove from heat. Add cooked macaroni to the sauce. Add sugar to tomatoes and add to the sauce.

    Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake until the surface browns. Serves 4. (We must add: serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main.)

  3. The library’s new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, opens Friday. In the New York Times yesterday, Sam Roberts wrote about the Automat, a very popular chain of lunch spots which opened in New York 100 years ago this July. The article has elicited over 100 comments so far, mostly people sharing their memories of these memorable restaurants. Do you have any stories about the Automat?

    The library’s new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, opens Friday. In the New York Times yesterday, Sam Roberts wrote about the Automat, a very popular chain of lunch spots which opened in New York 100 years ago this July. The article has elicited over 100 comments so far, mostly people sharing their memories of these memorable restaurants.

    Do you have any stories about the Automat?

  4. You’ll be able to see an actual Automat machine at our new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, opening June 22!! apossiopeza: Automat, 977 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan. by New York Public Library on Flickr. Man takes pie out of Automat, stone counters and walls below metal and glass display.

    You’ll be able to see an actual Automat machine at our new exhibition, Lunch Hour NYC, opening June 22!!

    apossiopeza:

    Automat, 977 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan. by New York Public Library on Flickr.

    Man takes pie out of Automat, stone counters and walls below metal and glass display.