brontherun's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. It combines a take on U.S. history through a prism of the rise and fall of restaurants and cuisines. I found it nostalgic both for certain restaurant types, and for my college days. The structure and content of Freedman's book puts me in mind of what could easily be an entire semester course in the American Studies department at a liberal arts college of the late 1980s or early 1990s.
The research and source material seems solid throughout, and although unfamiliar with some of the example restaurants, they were described with enough detail and narrative to give the needed historical and gastronomical context. However, I struggled with the dryness of the work overall. I gave thought to abandoning several times, but the remaining restaurants/topics were still of interest.
The research and source material seems solid throughout, and although unfamiliar with some of the example restaurants, they were described with enough detail and narrative to give the needed historical and gastronomical context. However, I struggled with the dryness of the work overall. I gave thought to abandoning several times, but the remaining restaurants/topics were still of interest.
ericadeb's review against another edition
3.0
Here's the thing. I was listening to it on audio, and it was full of amazing information and I was excited to learn all about food history, because it is a topic that I LOVE. But the audio book is over 17 hours long. By the time I got to the Mandarin and Sylvia's it just wasn't holding my attention anymore. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to learn about how Chinese restaurants became popular take out joints and how Southern food and African American food have a blurry line between them, but my hoopla borrow was up and I can't bring myself to borrow it again. Too many words.
katrina_daquin's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty fascinating read about restaurants that changed America. The author states upfront it’s not about the best restaurants, but rather about those that have changed the tastes and habits of the country. I really enjoyed it, and learned quite a bit about the history of restaurants.
adrianhon's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating, though later chapters are in dire need of an editor given their repetition and fixation on details better left as footnotes
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
I'll definitely be buying this one to keep as a reference, and I really appreciate that the author did SERIOUS research into all of these restaurants. I know his background is like medieval peasantry, but I really wanted him to dig into the racism and white supremacy of the restaurant world. So many times I felt like thr discussion could happen right there, but he didn't go that route.
adavie's review against another edition
2.0
Just not what I thought...a bit too involved than what I expected or was looking for. It was insightful and thorough, just more than I was interested in.
lauren_salsa's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This was a solid book and it makes me want to take a culinary road trip (well, much of that would have to be back in time since most of these restaurants are now closed). The chapters that really stood out were those that presented a bigger picture about cultural changes in the country, like women dining solo at Schrafft’s, the rise of creole at Antoine’s, and our redefinition of "ethnic" food with The Mandarin.
I zoned out a bit during the listings of menu items—perhaps this would have been better in the print book where I could have skimmed. I also wish that the final chapter on Chez Panisse was paired with one on TGI Fridays/Texas Roadhouse/Olive Garden, since, like it or not, those kinds of restaurants have also influenced the way America views a special night out.
I zoned out a bit during the listings of menu items—perhaps this would have been better in the print book where I could have skimmed. I also wish that the final chapter on Chez Panisse was paired with one on TGI Fridays/Texas Roadhouse/Olive Garden, since, like it or not, those kinds of restaurants have also influenced the way America views a special night out.