Part 3/9:
The range of food served at saloons was expansive. From elegant French cuisine, sometimes crafted by French chefs even in smaller towns, to simple bar snacks like pickled eggs and pretzels, saloon menus catered to diverse tastes. Adapting to the culinary culture of their patrons, many saloons offered hearty cowboy staples such as baked beans, and, as George Ade described, a bowl of baked beans often graced the center of the table.
Creating such dishes involved using traditional recipes aimed at generating profit, such as one from the Cooking for Profit publication of 1886. Baked pork and beans emerged as a symbolic dish, blending simplicity with flavor, using just a few key ingredients—navy beans, salt pork, molasses, and water.