appealed to those who knew good service.

Bab's had a meteoric career and was worthy of much longer life, but
Babcock had too high an idealization of what San Francisco wanted. He
emulated the Parisian restaurants in oddities, one of his rooms being
patterned after the famous Cabaret de la Mort, and one dined off a
coffin and was lighted by green colored tapers affixed to skulls. Aside
from its oddities it was one of the best places for a good meal for Bab
had the art of catering down to a nicety. There were rooms decorated to
represent various countries and in each room you could get a dinner of
the country represented.

Thompson's was another place that was too elaborate for its patronage
and after a varied existence from the old Oyster Loaf to a cafeteria
Thompson was compelled to leave for other fields and San Francisco lost
a splendid restaurateur. He opened the place under the Flood building,
after the fire, in most magnificent style, taking in two partners. The
enormous expense and necessary debt contracted to open the place was too
much and Thompson had to give up his interest. This place is now running
as the Portola-Louvre.

Much could be written of these old-time restaurants, and as we write
story after story amusing, interesting, and instructive come to mind,
each indicative of the period when true Bohemianism was to be found in
the City that Was.

An incident that occurred in the old Fior d'Italia well illustrates this
spirit of camaraderie, as it shows the good-fellowship that then
obtained. We went to that restaurant for dinner one evening, and the
proprietor, knowing our interest in human nature studies, showed us to a