Sailors Platter: 1911

Gotta hand it to the Navy; what they lack in cooking skills they make up for in portions.

and no asbestos from that big white pipe please.

I agree that the mystery meat looks like ribs, though what happened to them during the cooking process remains a mystery.
And kvenido, I know just what you mean about faces that fit OUR time.
I've noticed this in other pictures, a woman whose hair isn't marcelled or waved looks like someone you'd see on the street now, lost amid the old-fashioned people.
It's one of the fascinations of shorpy.

It is not sushi.

If you don't like it today, get a second helping, lest you be served the same thing (possibly disguised) tomorrow.

Wonder what the chiefs and officers got for dinner.

My destroyer served two years in Vietnam and one week we went six straight days eating "mystery meat". As the Plan of the Day was being posted in the radio shack, on which there was printed tomorrow's menu, one of my buddies made a derogatory comment about "more mystery meat".

Unfortunately, the captain happened to walk into the shack at that very moment and immediately invited my buddy into his cabin for a chat.

My buddy was shaking entering the captain's cabin, knowing he was going to get a chewing-out, whereupon the captain inquired "What's your beef?"

He almost wet his pants trying to stifle his laughter.

Relatively carefree, as well. It was the beginning of a great adventure, sailing around the world, stopping in port cities, watching silents like "Sailor Jack's Reformation" on board ship with their messmates.

I wonder how many were still in the US Navy during the Great War.

Those guys are "Mess Cooks" Regular Sailors. Probably recently arrived on the ship without a specialty rating. It was their job to work in the galley at whatever chore the ships cook needed them for. Every Sailor in the Navy had mess cooking duty at one time or another in their career

I am fairly sure those are platters of main course, not plates for individuals. Whatever it is... plop it in the middle of the table and watch them grab 'em off quick!

According to my late father who was a WW2 sailor the only
dish they were served was generous amounts of SOS. This
mystery meat looks like an improvement.

I'm thinking Fried Chicken on the front platter and BBQ (or some other sauce)Beef Short Ribs on the back two platters. I'm also betting that Fried Chicken would have looked a lot better up close and personal.. maybe being plated for 101 years has taken the edge off the bouquet!

since the times of the wooden walls - the youngest member of each mess was the runner.

The lad in the front is nice looking (it does seem to me that if a man doesn't sport a huge handlebar 'stache and/or other unusual facial hair of that time, he can definitely more easily fit into OUR time) But even as the young man is attractive, what he is holding for his meal is definitely NOT (burnt BBQ ribs?)