Yet despite his best efforts to repel customers, some combination of his persnicketiness in the kitchen and the fancy lighting in the dining room made the dishes seem perversely exotic. Some nights the menu featured only frankfurters, Jell-O, and creamed spinach. But the barman had a comprehensive selection of overpriced wines, and he would earnestly confer with guests over whether the Rüdesheimer Apostelwein or the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti best complemented the peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches.
