The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece

By Lorraine B. Diehl and Marianne Hardart

On the 100th birthday of Horn & Hardart, a look back at one of America's most beloved institutions

A coin-operated glass-and-chrome wonder, Horn & Hardart's Automats revolutionized the way Americans ate when they opened up in Philadelphia and New York in the early twentieth century. In a country where the industrial revolution had just taken hold, eating at a restaurant with self-serving vending machines rather than waitresses and Art Deco architecture instead of stuffy dining rooms was an unforgettable experience. The Automat served freshly made food for the price of a few coins, and no one made a better cup of coffee. By the peak of its popularity--from the Great Depression to the post-war years--the Automat was more than an inexpensive place to buy a good meal; it was a culinary treasure, a technical marvel, and an emblem of the times.

The Automat will take readers back to the days of Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth, Walter Winchell and Jack Benny, the Brooklyn Dodgers and shows at Radio City. Through beautiful archival photography, candid interviews, delicious recipes, and wonderfully evocative memorabilia, Lorraine Diehl and Marianne Hardart bring to life a time when a handful of nickels and the twist of a wrist bought a good square meal--Macaroni and Cheese, Boston Baked Beans, Chicken Pot Pie, Rice Pudding, and all the other favorites whose recipes are in these pages.

The Automat was a true American treasure, and here is its tribute.

"I have always thought that the Automat in New York has the best scrambled eggs in the world." --Gregory Peck

"To have your own stack of nickels placed in your tiny hands; to be able to choose your own food, richly on display like museum pieces; to make quick and final decisions at the age of eight; this was a lesson in financial dealings that not even two years at the Wharton School could buy today." --Neil Simon

"Oh, be still my heart I used to shine shoes when I was fourteen years old. And when I was a little ahead, I would stop at Horn & Hardart." --Tony Curtis

"I lived at the Automat. They had the greatest chocolate milk. When I moved to Philadelphia, I apportioned less than two dollars a day to eat on, and the Automat was the only place I could do it." --Dick Clark

"I went to the Automat all the time. I grew up going to the Automat. The food was delicious. And it was wonderful." --Woody Allen

"The first time I came to New York, I had a meal at the Automat. I had heard about the Automat, and I had to go see what it was all about." --Leonard Nimoy

"I had the same lunch every day: three vegetables, a roll, and cocoa. All for twenty-five cents." --Jerome Robbins

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609610740
• ISBN13: 9780609610749
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter Publishers
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.7" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

I consider it a cook book

Even if you have no interest in the history of the automat whatsoever, the recipes for American comfort food classics contained within are mostly great, and those that aren't are easily modified to taste. Everything is easy to prepare in large batches and it all keeps extremely well in the fridge, so you can cook yourself silly on the weekend and have leftovers throughout the week. Cheaper, better tasting, and healthier than any fast food you're likely to find. It's a darn shame these places went the way of the dodo, but if the economy keeps on crumbling maybe we'll get them back.

The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece

I have only the fondest memories of Saturday lunches with my Mom at the Automat; Marianne Hardart brought these memories back to life for me. Her book is a wonderful testimonial to two men whose concept on how to feed and treat their customers is worthy of "rebirth" today. It is a "must read." An added bonus is getting the recipes for some of my childhood favorites.

The Legacy of Horn & Hardart

This is an excellent, well wriitten, and for the most part accurate picture of Horn & Hardart Automats, and their significant impact on the culinary habits of many its customers right up to its demise in New York in the early 1980's and its retrenchment to Philadelphia during that time period. What is inaccurate, is the representation that the last real company owned Automat, located at Third Avenue and 42nd Street closed in 1991. True, there was an entity operating under the trade name of Horn & Hardart at that location until 1991, but the restaurant was only a licensing arrangement, and the food served in the restaurant, such as Macaroni & Cheese, etc. were not the true Horn & Hardart recipies. The real Horn & Hardart recipies were available until 1991 at the only remaining Horn & Hardart Baking Company store, which was located in the Bala Cynward Shopping Center, as accurately described in the book as the last remaining Horn & Hardart location. Also, the recipies in the book, or at least the Macaroni and Cheese recipie, appears not to be authentic. Although the co-author, Marianne Hardart credits a nutritionist will assistance with the recipie, it appears that the recipie is not truly authentic, insofar key ingredients, such as crushed tomatoes and light cream are not included in the recipie. A much better recipie for Horn and Hardart's Macaroni and Cheese is as follows:MACARONI AND CHEESE1lb. Ziti Rigati 1/8 tsp. Red Pepper6Tbs. Flour 1/8 tsp. White Pepper6 Tbs. Butter 4Tbs. Light Cream6 C. Milk 3C. Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese2 tsp. Salt 1C. Crushed Tomatoes2 tsp. SugarBoil ziti until barely cooked. Drain and set aside.In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, blend in flour and cook 2 minutes.Beat in the milk, then the cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and cool slightly.Stir in the cheese until melted, then add the tomatoes, salt, sugar and two peppers.Add cheese mixture to the ziti.Pour into a baking pan and bake in a preheated 400* oven until top browns and bubbles.**To Freeze: Pour into aluminum pans, seal and place in freezer. DO NOT BAKE BEFORE FREEZING. **To Bake Frozen Macaroni and Cheese: Allow to defrost before baking. Uncover and place in 400* oven and bake until top is brown and bubbling. I had hoped that this book, which had promised to include the "secret" Horn & Hardart recipies, which were under tight family control, would have been the actual "secret" recipies. However, despite these disappointments, this is an excellent book that gives a detailed history of an American Institution.

Meet You At The Automat

This is a wonderful book. It is produced magnificently. Absolutely beautiful. Slick pages, clear pictures, excellent text; a total package.The inside of the covers has old items with nostalgic prices on it. Oh how they make me miss the automat.The writing is fine, covering the automat from many perspectives. The business end, the customers end, the attraction of the automat. Famous people tell about their feelings and experiences about the automat. Many many different experiences and views concerning this most unique and popular of restaurants.If you ever ate at the automat, and miss not being able to go there again, then this book will send you down memory lane something fierce. I remember the automat with great fondness (loved the one near Grand Central Station) and this book really enhanced my memories and made them more vivid.Even people who have never been to the automat may find this book interesting. It is not overly long, and is well designed with pictures spaced throughout the book, so that it is never a chore to look at or read. Certainly as a gift item, this is a fabulous choice.The automats are not around anymore, but this delicious book can definitely bring your mind and heart there for a little while.Look at the pictures of the food behind the glass windows, the spaced out tables, the fronts of the buildings. These photos bring back such memories that I wish I could grab a few nickels and open a few food windows again, sit down and meet some friends.This book even has recipes from food sold at the automat. Whether or not you will try to cook them, they are interesting too. A very intimate and comprehensive, yet not overly full book. It has the exact proportion of components to make a fantastic memory lane book.There is no way that you will regret making the purchase of this book. Just make sure that you have a box of tissues nearby, because it is sure to stir such emotions that you just might shed a tear or two, by having it all brought to life again.Wonderful place to eat, and meet, and a wonderful book for yourself or as a gift.

The Automat Lives Again!

This is it! Finally, a history of Horn & Hardart, annotated and with many sharp, detailed photographs. While attractive and of very high quality, it's much more than a coffee table book.There's lots of first-person anecdotes that fill in the blanks for me. There's a full account of how the business operated, from its humble beginnings to its unfortunate demise. The numbers are very impressive, both in terms of the number of Automats, and the number of people served daily in New York City and Philadelphia. The account of the operation of the main commissary is fascinating , especially the automation of the pie-baking.But the personal recollections define what the Automats really were all about. The hot-water-and-ketchup-as-tomato-soup story is one I remember the most about how the Depression-era masses found refuge at the Automat. But this isn't all. The famous and the movie stars who frequented the Automats is another very special part of the story. Whether the Automat was part of the plot, or sometimes even the shooting location, you will love reading about it and seeing the beautiful photographs in the book. Don't forget about the recipes. There's many original Horn & Hardart recipes in the book, even tested by a nutritionist! I will definitely try some of them. I recollect an orchard owner in upstate New York who would transport and sell his fresh produce directly to Horn & Hardart. I seem to recall that he told me they insisted on using real pumpkins for making their pumpkin pie, instead of using the easier ingredient of squash.This book is the perfect antidote to the events of 9/11. I couldn't help but think how heartbroken and insulted all the gritty former Automat patrons were after witnessing how 9/11 forever changed their city.