We’ve seen a Northern Pacific die-cut menu in the shape of an apple and a Salt Lake Route booklet in the shape of an orange. Great Northern even had a die-cut menu in the shape of a fish, which I don’t have. Here’s a Northern Pacific menu in the shape of a casserole.
Click image to download a 263-KB PDF of this menu.
Even more delightfully, opening the menu is akin to removing the lid off the casserole dish, so the image above hides the top half of the menu under the lid and the bottom half above the dish. Because the menu is small — less than 4″x5″ folded — the printable area only allows room for an a la carte menu.
The back of the menu says “This service inaugurated October 1, 1911.” It isn’t exactly clear that “this service” is since the items on the menu aren’t much different — just fewer in number — from a full-sized regular menu. This statement does suggest that this menu is from 1911 or 1912.
Small print allows the inclusion of about 30 items, few of which are casseroles and some of which aren’t even hot. The main entrées include chicken livers with bacon, veal cutlets, sausage and mashed potatoes, roast duck, short ribs, and chicken hashed in cream. Prices are low: the roast duck is the most expensive at 65¢ (about $13 if this is from 1911) and the Great Big Baked Potato is only a dime (about $3 today). For dessert, the menu also includes mince pie, apple pie, and fruit cake for 15¢ each or rice pudding for 20¢.