The Potato Dish That Emerged With American Fine Dining

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America's fine dining scene features so many world-renowned restaurants that it's easy to forget that just two centuries ago, it didn't even exist. In the mid-19th century, one restaurant in particular helped shepherd the high-end culinary scene into being: New York City's Delmonico's. Delmonico's was so influential to American fine dining that many dishes invented by its chefs have become classics, often still bearing the restaurant's name. A great example is a simple but delicious potato dish known as Potatoes Delmonico.

Potatoes Delmonico involves cooking boiled, shredded potatoes in a rich sauce made from milk, cream, and spices, which are then mixed and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Some recipes swap out the Parmesan for cheddar. After these ingredients are combined, the mixture is placed in a baking dish and baked until the top is lightly browned.

Although it might sound simple, it quickly became a favorite of 1800s elites dining at the establishment. By some accounts, this includes President Abraham Lincoln, who was said to enjoy the potatoes. Unfortunately, that still didn't stop Delmonico's from dropping the dish from the menu sometime in the past century and a half, leaving potato lovers to choose between alternative options such as pommes puree or an alternative hash brown preparation with Espelette peppers, crème fraîche, and chives. 

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Potatoes Delmonico is by no means the only notable old-school recipe to originate at this illustrious fine-dining establishment. Many dishes are ascribed to famed chefs who worked there, like Alessandro Fellippini, who developed the famous Delmonico steak.. Even more notable developments are credited to Charles Ranhofer, who was named chef de cuisine at Delmonico's in 1862, 25 years after it opened its doors. Ranhofer's contributions include Eggs Benedict and Baked Alaska as well as higher-end plates such as Lobster Newburg and Chicken à la King.

Unlike many of these dishes, Potatoes Delmonico has decidedly fallen into the category of old-school potato dishes you rarely see anymore alongside vintage sides like Duchess Potatoes and potato timbales. However, the timeless combination of potatoes and cheese still endures in dishes like hash brown casseroles.

Fine dining in America has come a long way since Delmonico's became the first restaurant in America to use tablecloths in the 1830s. Still, there's no denying the influence that dishes like Potatoes Delmonico have had on elevated American cuisine.