A beautiful antique circa early 1900s heavy Copper pot with iron handle and tin lining, made by Duparquet, marked for use by both the B&O railroad and Cafe Savarin in NYC! 

The Cafe Savarin on Pershing Square was located in the Grand Central station terminal in New York City. The original Café Savarin, located in the Equitable Building, was opened in 1888 and was named after Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French gastronome and author of Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste), who became celebrated for his culinary writings on the craft and science of cookery and the art of eating. The Equitable Building burned to the ground in 1912 and didn’t reopen until 1915, during that time café Savarin opened satellite locations in Grand Central and the old Penn Station. The café was synonymous with fine dining in New York City, all of its locations were renowned for their exquisite interiors and food. 

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) never seems to have run out of Grand Central Station in New York, but their luxury Capitol Limited service did run from Penn Station between 1923 and 1926, which also had a branch of the café Savarin. Perhaps that is how they got their hands on this pot, when the B&O railroad got the boot from Penn Station, they may have sold it to Savarin, who then transferred it to their Pershing Square location.

In great antique condition, this pot was used daily in the service of a restaurant and railroad dining car, so it shows many, many signs of use and age, but no damage or issues that would affect it’s usability. There are a couple old repairs to the base evident when looking closely. The handle rivets are all nice and tight. When we found this pot it was entirely covered in tin, even the rivets had been tinned, most of the tin has been removed for aesthetic reasons, but a bit was left behind in the nooks and crannies as a remembrance of where the pot came from. The pot has now been professionally polished and re-tinned so it is ready for use! Stamped “B&O” and “Pershing Sq Savarin” on one side. Nice, thick hotel-quality walls approx. 3mm at the rim.

Measures 24 inches long along the handle, 12.25 inches wide across the pot opening by 8 inches tall. Weighs just about 15 pounds.