The Grunewald Hotel was initially opened to the public in 1894 and remained under the same ownership until 1923. In 1925, the Grunewald was officially renamed the Roosevelt.
Dining services in the Grunewald were first class, in keeping with the grandeur of the entire hotel. There were at least three restaurants within the Grunewald: The Main Dining Room, The Forest Grill, and The Crystal Cave. The first photo is the Main Dining Room, and the next is the Forest Grill.
The Crystal Cave, although long gone, remains probably the most striking and unique restaurant of all. It was constructed within the Grunewald to appear as a cavern, complete with hanging stalactites and stalagmites jutting up from the floor along the aisles. The Cave was a first-class supper club setting featuring dining and live entertainment.
Dining in The Crystal Cave, circa 1917
Miss Patsie O’Hearn, a vaudevillian, tells the story of performing at the Grunewald.
Since the Grunewald was renamed the Roosevelt Hotel in 1925, the last china carrying the name of the Grunewald is around 100 years old. Below are some examples of several different patterns that have survived. Certainly, there are more out there waiting to be found.
This piece of chinaware has an interesting history of its own. It is marked as The Hotel Grunewald Caterers, which clearly identifies how it was used. But it saw use in a different and unique setting, too. While almost all railroads in the heyday of passenger rail travel used either Pullman dining car service or provided their own equipment and service, there was at least one exception, and this is where the Hotel Grunewald came in. The Gulf Coast Lines, which served Houston–New Orleans travelers, included dining cars, and its dining car service was provided by The Hotel Grunewald Caterers. The service was advertised as such and, for a time, featured Grunewald Caterers chinaware.
Thoughts from Miss Patsie O’Hearn
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