In most restaurants I visit the menu is on a board behind the server’s head, and I have to squint to see the writing at that distance. But for my convenience they number the choices so I only have to remember, I’m a number four diner.

In better restaurants, I often ask the waitress if the menu she hands me is a souvenir. Wifey cringes and most waitresses quickly grab the menu away from me.

Some even hand me the children’s menu instead. Over the years I have picked up a few menus from local restaurants that have gone out of business or changed hands and names. As with many of my collections, they are almost accidental, I’d pick one up just to take a look, “WOW, that’s a neat cover design”, “I remember that place when I was dating Lucy”, “Can you believe these prices, coffee now costs more the lobster did back then”. Some were acquired unnoticed until I went to sort the contents of a box lot purchased at an auction or estate sale.

This weekend we went to a antique flea market, held at our Wisconsin State Fair Park, attracting a full house of dealers, many we have dealt with over the years spending time to visit with them while selecting items to purchase. Most dealers have a specialty, sterling flatware, advertising, brewery, toys, jewelry, etc. To let you in on a little trade secret, often the seller of selected items acquires an odd assortment, that doesn’t fit their focus, but was so inexpensive they are happy to sell at a below normal price, and still get their profit. That being the rule, we spend a great deal of time exploring each and every booth at these shows.

I don’t remember running into Maxine before, at one of these shows, but her booth was on my side of the isle, (wifey and I take sides for faster coverage in larger shows). She seemed to have an array of items and lots of paper and photos. I just browsed past most of her booth until I stopped at the papers, looked through the photos, some booklets and then spotted the menus under other stuff. I suddenly became twelve menus richer, probably doubling the size of my collection. But who could resist this colorful menu cover from the Franciscan Restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco? And at $3.75 for Broiled California Lobster, who wants to join me for dinner. Oh! Coffee or tea is extra at fifteen cents, Sanka or Postum – Twenty-five.

Two other menus from California were included, Tokyo’s on Fisherman’s Wharf and Sabella’s in Marin, with a Mill Valley address and included large post card and wine menu.

Seven menu’s are from all compass points in Wisconsin and include the rare child’s menu shown above right from the Smith Brothers in Port Washington, a very famous seafood place once located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Others are from Larry’s Supper Club in Madison (Lobster Tail on Friday $1.25), Virginian, near Prescott, Beyond The Sea in Milwaukee, Linden Inn on Big Cedar Lake, (the last two I had visited years ago), The Roxy in Oshkosh, and a very long time favorite The Red Circle Inn near Milwaukee.

One location remains a mystery, The Black Watch Stake House. (If that name rings a bell reply to me below).

From the letter-number phone numbers and the prices all in the same range, we are sure these were collected within a short period of time and probably in the early to mid Fifties.

My reason to collect menu’s: because they exist.

Do you have a better reason for your collections?