CAVIAR CHRONICLES

Companion piece to the other de luxe item, Snoet If You Must by Lucius Reebe (see P. 480) -- as this retails with irony and strong, saline solution, the ""high-bred whims and highfed affairs"" of the members of the wealthiest club in America. Here are tales of the embarrassment caused by the oldest member, the eccentricities of one member driven to economize, the culinary quirks of gourmands and gourmets, the hullaballoo of the first ladies' day, the personalities of the staff, the graft, the problems of meeting the unusual demands of members (always right?), the effect of war and rationing. The author, steward of the club, does not make one proud of his employers as a class; he presents a tart concoction with prestige appeal, not without sardonic humor, engendered by intimate knowledge of behind the scenes problems, situations and characters. Hout monde for hoi polloi -- that rollicks while sniping.