Clover Club Dinner Menus

A typical dinner party menu is expected to include necessary details such as date, time, and location, as well as the meal to come. The Clover Club went above and beyond these expectations, including elaborate illustrations and cartoons featuring esteemed members and club traditions. The menus were also known to feature speeches or essays written by its members, songs or poetry in tribute to the club, as well as portraits of its officers. The gallery included contains images taken from the Clover Club’s 5^th Anniversary Dinner menu, 1887. The various committees involved with organizing the dinner are often shown appreciation in the menu.

As can be noted, the gentlemen of the Clover Club were creatures of habit. Their menus tended to remain quite uniform. Oysters, mutton, and duck were among the dining club’s staple courses, in addition to what is sometimes referred to as “Clover Punch.”