You know we’re suckers for vintage menus, so the Village Voice‘s collection of 10 vintage bills of fare from Explorers Club dinners of yore immediately caught our eye. The professional society includes scientists, journalists, expeditioners, and others committed to pushing the frontiers of both earthly and outer-space exploration. Over the years, famous members have included the likes of Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hilary.
Each year, the society convenes for a banquet, and these menus are from dinners in NYC dating back to 1896, when the group was called the Arctic Club. This year’s dinner is coming up this Saturday at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and you can actually go if you’re willing to part with $375. Just know that the grub might be a little adventurous: As Tejal Rao explains in the Voice, “Back in 2001, three allergy-prone diners suffered from burning, itchy mouths after eating improperly prepared tarantula tempura—the spider had been served with its urticating bristles, or poisonous leg hair, still intact.”
[via Village Voice]