ABOUT MESS HALL
The story behind the recipes
THE 1920 U.S. NAVY COOK-BOOK
In 1920, the U.S. Naval Institute published a comprehensive cookbook to train cooks at the Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island. This remarkable document contains recipes designed to feed 100 sailors at a time — hearty, practical dishes that sustained thousands of men at sea.
We've preserved every one of these 167 recipes and carefully scaled them down from 100 servings to family-sized portions of 4, while keeping all the authentic Navy character and cooking wisdom.
From simple Boiled Potatoes to elegant Consommé Royal, from hearty Beef Stew to sweet Apple Pie — these recipes tell the story of American naval cuisine in the early 20th century.
THE MESS HALL APP
The MessHall app brings these historic recipes to your kitchen with modern AI-powered cooking assistance. The Drill Sergeant — our on-device AI chef — will guide you through every recipe step by step, answer your cooking questions, and keep you motivated.
All AI processing happens on your device. No data is sent anywhere. Just you, the recipes, and 100 years of Navy cooking wisdom.