[pcrh]

I noticed the prominence of celery, which might surprise a modern diner. I had reason some years ago to look into this and the history is interesting. Celery was at one time difficult to cultivate, growing only in select marshlands. In the absence of refrigeration it was also difficult to transport to city diners, so was considered a delicacy.

This also lead to the production of specific table items intended to display celery such as the vase shown in the menus above.

https://slicesofbluesky.com/celery-restaurant-menus/

[throwaway89201]

The second chapter of the included tour [1] is about celery: "In fact, it's the fourth most common item among the Buttolph Collection menus, after coffee, tea, and olives."

[1] https://pudding.cool/2026/06/menu-story/