Lorenzo Delmonico, 1813 - 1881

Oscar Tschirky, (originally: Tschirggi) 1866-1950, maitre d’.  Born in Le Locle, Canton Neuchatel. He started as a humble clearer of restaurant tables in 1883, but worked his way up to become head waiter at the fashionable Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York. In 1893 he joined the staff of the Waldorf hotel, then under construction. Although not a chef, during the course of his career at the Waldorf he created the Waldorf Salad, Eggs Benedict, and Thousand Island Dressing. He became well-known as Oscar of the Waldorf. The site of the original Waldorf was sold in 1928 to make room for the Empire State Building; Tschirky’s name lives on in the “Oscar’s” coffee shop in today’s Waldorf-Astoria.