Filet mignon in an O. Henry story

Filet mignon even appears in an O. Henry love story. In A Service of Love, Joe and Delia have a little extra money and plan a good dinner. Joe mentions filet mignon with mushrooms. The steak itself is known for its tenderness: it comes from the beef tenderloin, a particularly tender cut.

Joe and Delia are fictional characters. This is a literary scene, rather than an account of O. Henry’s own dinner. The dish gives the reader a sense of the meal the couple imagines.