Maurice LaCroix - Head Chef, The Briarcliff Lodge - Notebook 2024 - 9
Maurice LaCroix was born in 1889 in Lille, France. and entered the hotel business at the age of fourteen as assistant chef at the Hotel Bel Dor in Reims.
He emigrated to the United States when he was seventeen and worked at the Astor, Belmont, Knickerbocker and Biltmore hotels (1906-1909) in New York City and at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough (1919-1923)
In 1923, a year before Walter Law's death, the Law family leased the lodge to Chauncey Depew Steele for 20 years. That year he hired Maurice LaCroix as Head Chef. At the Lodge LaCroix composed all the menus. , some samples of which can be found below
Menus
Briarcliff Lodge - New Year’s Eve Carnival Menu, December 31, 1923, the first year that Chauncey Depew Steele was in charge
A later New Year’s Eve celebration menu: Briarcliff Lodge - New Year’s Eve Carnival Menu, December 31, 1928
The À la carte menu
The everyday, À la carte menu was designed by M. LaCroix. It was somewhat plainer but very complete, including twelve hors d'oeuvres as well as oysters and clams (at 50 cents a serving), seven kinds of soup (45 cents), eight salads, five kinds of ice cream and baked Alaska ($1.25). The most expensive item listed under Roasts and Grill was Roast Long Island Duckling (half) $2.50; (for two) $4.00. Lobster Newburg was $1.50.
In season, all vegetables were picked in the Lodge gardens. On one occasion Dr. Charles Brieant was summoned to the Lodge in the small hours of the morning. Everyone there, from the humblest scullion to the most celebrated and wealthy guest, was deathly sick. The cause of this sudden plague, it was discovered, was Paris Green, a primitive insecticide, on the broccoli (This incident was NOT during the tenure of Chef LaCroix.
Breakfast at the Briarcliff Lodge Ca. 1923
Communications between Chauncey Depew Steele and Maurice LaCroix
The Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society also has in its files a number of fascinating notes from Chauncey Depew Steele (the proprietor of the Lodge) and Chef LaCroix some of which are reproduced below:
Notice to Chef:
I want waffles for breakfast tomorrow morning. Mr. Williamson has sent the waffle iron down.
Mr. Steele.
Chef:
One half broiled chicken now costs us 50 cents. You will have to take it off the employee’s menu.
Mr. Steele.
Chef:
Just to remind you about tonight and tomorrow night. Keep the size of the steak down. You can make up with potatoes and fish. I want to make some money on these parties.
The scrambled eggs in the morning, the portions are too large. Cut them down.
Mr. Steele.
Chef:
You will have to keep the help back where they belong and not let them walk around the front of the building
Mr. Steele.
Chef:
Be careful of the butter. Don’t sling it around carelessly. It is too expensive.
Mr. Steele.
Chef:
Please keep all windows closed on the west side of the kitchen everynight. I have had many complaints about the odor.
Mr. Steele.
In 1930 Chef LaCroix left the Briarcliff Lodge to work at the Concourse Plaza Hotel. (1, page 42). However, he returned to Briarcliff again to work at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club between 1939 and 1945.
He died in 1977 and is buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Sources:
The Changing Landscape. A history of Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough. Mary Cheever, 1990 pp. 40-42.
Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society Files.