The specialty of the house and other stories

The title story is one of the creepiest I've ever read. Coming from a great restaurant city (New Orleans) the whole tale of a fabulous establishment with one perfect dish that is not always available is entirely believable to me (In New Orleans, chefs have been arrested for buying endangered fish). Stanley Ellin worked very slowly but with great care; one might wish he had written more but no one can complain about the quality of what he produced.