thornsen's

Updated: May 28, 2025

By way of loosening up his wrist for the open season, Peter Quick Banta had taken advantage of an amiable day to sketch out a composite floral and faunal scheme on the flagging in front of Thornsen's Élite Restaurant, when Miss Holland, in passing, paused to observe and wonder. At the same moment, Julien hurrying around the corner, all but ran her down.

Samuel Hopkins Adams - From a Bench in Our Square

In the off-season the thwarted passion of color possesses him; and upon the flagstones before Thornsen's Élite Restaurant, which constitutes his canvas, he will limn you a full-rigged ship in two colors, a portrait of the heavyweight champion in three, or, if financially encouraged, the Statue of Liberty in four. These be, however, concessions to popular taste.

Samuel Hopkins Adams - From a Bench in Our Square

Henri Dumain, our little old French David who fought the tragic duel of tooth and claw with his German Jonathan in Thornsen's Élite Restaurant, stung him with that most insulting word in any known tongue "Lâche!" and threatened him with uplifted cane; and poor Plooie slunk away.

Samuel Hopkins Adams - From a Bench in Our Square

I lead them to the sidewalk fronting Thornsen's Élite Restaurant. There stood Peter Quick Banta, admiring his latest masterpiece of imaginative symbolism. It represented a love-bird of eagle size holding in its powerful beak a scroll with a wreath of forget-me-nots on one end and of orange-blossoms on the other, encircling respectively the initials.

Samuel Hopkins Adams - From a Bench in Our Square

Our Square is conservative, not to say distrustful in its bearing toward innovations. Thornsen's Élite Restaurant has always sufficed for our inner cravings. We are, I suppose, too old to change. Nor does Harvey Wheelwright exercise an inspirational sway over us. We let the little millionairess and her Washington Square importation pretty well alone.

Samuel Hopkins Adams - From a Bench in Our Square