Automats

Preface: A little history of the Automat: Horn & Hardart opened its first Automat eatery in 1902 to serve good dishes cheaply. Three nickels inserted in slot, a twist of the knob, and presto! -- the glass hatch popped open, enabling diners to help themselves to a fabulous selection of dishes, all made fresh that morning.

One of my all-time favorite movies is Dark City. It's such a brilliant movie, in so many aspects (most notably, visual): Set design, actors/actresses, costume design, score, soundtrack, etc. If you haven't seen it, and are a fan of the surreal, 40's and/or Neo-Noir, then you are sure to enjoy it. One of the many things that stood out in my mind, during the movie Dark City, was a particular scene that takes place at an Automat.

For those not familiar with the Automat, it's basically a restaurant, with a wall of cubbies, covered with hinged hatches, that contain freshly prepared food. Think of them as a cross between today's vending machine and a cafeteria. Automats were before my time, but I am completely enchanted with the concept of them. I know that a spinoff of them, still remain popular in some parts of Europe and Asia, but I'm not sure if there are any still around in the US. It's sad how such a fantastic concept could ever go out of style. I'd think it would mesh perfectly with today's seemingly faceless lifestyle of automated everything, yet retaining a sense of history.

I love the idea of being able to go into a restaurant, any time of the day and/or night, with a pocket of change, and getting yourself a cup of coffee, club sandwich, etc. And then going to relax, relatively social interaction-free (i.e. waitress, hostess, etc.), in a comfortable booth to enjoy it. Relatively self-contained, yet refreshingly retro. Upon Googling our friend the Automat, I came across a book entitled The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece, written by Lorraine B. Diehl & Marianne Hardart. They have also jointly published a book of postcards and a journal, both with Automat themes. Check em' out!