Oscar
Tschirky (1866 – November
6, 1950) was a Swiss-American restaurateur who was maître d'hôtel of Delmonico's Restaurant and
subsequently the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York, United States. He was widely known as "Oscar of the
Waldorf" and published a large cookbook. Oscar Tschirky was born in 1866 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. He left for the United States in 1883, settling
in New York City. Working
first as a busboy, or commis waiter, in the Hoffman House shortly after
his arrival in New York, he participated in the rise of exclusive
restaurants. He became known as maître d'hôtel of Delmonico's Restaurant and
subsequently the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York. He was widely known as "Oscar of the
Waldorf". Because of his association with the restaurant, he capitalized
on his association with food, although he had never worked as a chef. He
published a large cookbook. He is also pictured on a relish
bottle displayed in the lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria, along with other photos
of him at the major events during his tenure as maître d'hôtel. He is credited
with having created the Waldorf salad, and for aiding in the popularization of
the Thousand Island dressing.
Tschirky is also credited with developing the preparation of Eggs Benedict, although differing accounts make this hard to
confirm. Tschirky had a farm in New Paltz, New York, where
he hosted picnics for friends and family as well as other chefs. In later years
the property was purchased by the Philantropique Society and was operated as a
retirement home for chefs. It later opened to the general public and was known
as The Culinarians' Home. Cornell University holds
the Oscar Tschirky papers and his noted collection of menus (Cornell University School of Hotel Administration). Karl
Schriftgiesser's biography of Tshirky, Oscar of the Waldorf (1943),
rather, reads much like an autobiography. Most of Oscar Tschirky's recollections therein
are devoted to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and
its founder, George C. Boldt, and his
wife, Louise
Kehrer Boldt.