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Blue Plate Special: 1940
June 1940. Washington, D.C. "In the cafe at a truck drivers' service station on U.S. 1." The truck stop menu starring "Blue Plate Lunch," with cameos by Dr. Pepper and Cold Liver Loaf. 35mm negative by Jack Delano. View full size.
Mmmm, the aromas!
What a tantalizing menu! I'd love to eat there, but even going inside of it and just smelling the food would have been a treat!
I don't know what a pork roll would have been, but I do know what fresh ham was, the same part of a pig as smoked ham, but not smoked or cured. More than 30 years ago, I prepared one for a Christmas dinner, for 17 people. It was delicious!
Cheap Eats
The menu price of 30 cents in 1940 is equivalent to $4.91 in today's dollar. Still not bad for a Blue Plate Special.
No fast food here
And no misspellings, either. The cold liver loaf was probably very much like liverwurst or braunschweiger. Everything on the menu was probably cooked right in the kitchen. Pretty heavy lunches, but I don't see a single overweight diner.
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