Menus and Mudlavia- Part 1

The research for Mudlavia has been a great segue into the realm of historical fiction for me. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook, I get way too excited about vegetables, and I’m a diehard gardener. All of these things pertain to the menus of Mudlavia.

Farm to table is a trendy thing right now, and if Mudlavia was still here, it would probably be the trendiest place around! At the turn of the century, Mudlavia had a 400 acre farm, not because it was trendy, but because there were no supermarkets or big box stores to feed all of their guests and employees back then.

Although Mudlavia sourced some things, like tea, coffee, bananas and sugar, most of the food on their menus was grown and raised on their huge farm. Sources state that Mudlavia had a poultry farm, cattle for dairy and meat, a creamery to process their dairy products, fruit, and an enormous vegetable garden.

I’ve been blessed to be able to see a handful of the Mudlavia menus. They include things like creamed carrots, mashed potatoes, apricots in syrup, glace sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, apple dumplings, radishes, green peas, beet and lettuce salad, cherry pie, and much more. These fruits and vegetables all could have been easily grown in the vegetable garden on the grounds of the hotel.

Mudlavia had three different dining rooms. A first class dining room, a second class dining room, and a staff dining room for the white employees.

Everything at Mudlavia was done with great grandeur, and the menu and food would have been the same. I came across one ad for the hotel that said, “Mudlavia! Where even the potato is made fancy!” They went all out, whether it was buying chandeliers for the dining room, putting in exquisite fountains, and even turning the humble potato into something magnificent to eat!

Researching the garden and food at Mudlavia makes me wish I had a time machine so I could travel back and see them growing the food, preparing it, and serving it to their guests. I imagine they would have showed off their produce and made their meals something sumptuously delicious to behold and eat!

Credit where credit is due- special thanks to Grandpa Ringer, Dennie Myers, Sarah Johnston, Tom Swanson and Chris Brown for sharing their knowledge about Mudlavia and its dining rooms/chefs/menus with me!