This 1944 menu salutes “the unconquerable breed of Canada,” more than 600,000 of whom were “poised on the battle fronts of Democracy” in World War II. The menu was accompanied by a “sugar and butter rations” notice that “in compliance with government wartime regulations, butter and sugar rations are served only when requested by patron.”

Click image to download a 1.7-MB PDF of this menu.

The menu itself included a wide range of items, but red meat was clearly in short supply. The a la carte menu offered most of the usual items, including fish and omelets, but no chops or steaks, and not even ham or bacon with the eggs. The table d’hôte insert listed broiled salmon, fried halibut, or lobster salad, but the only red meats were veal cutlets and “Meat – Chef’s Selection,” which could have been anything from canned ham to sweetbreads. Canada was clearly reserving the best of its food production for those 600,000 young men and women fighting the war.