Reviews

Ten Restaurants That Changed America by Paul Freedman

anyanatasha's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.0

rosabelle's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

3.0

annettes's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

3.75

quigs07's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

3.75

jmrprice's review against another edition

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3.0

Spanning the evolution of famous restaurants in America - from high-brow/exclusive places to the advent of chains catering to travelers, it’s quite fascinating to see how these ten restaurants changed our views and relationships to food and even societal change. The additional depth of information clarified the context and their importance.
The five trends (farm to table, modernist gastronomy, celebrity chefs, Asian influences, informality) are just reflections of America’s continuing societal evolution.

mdegraffe's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.75

lindsey12's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

jessicakyle's review against another edition

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5.0

fascinating

So compelling I turned from my WiFi to make sure the digital loan from the library didn’t expire before I finished.

kimbersul's review against another edition

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3.0

Very detailed and informative but slow...

pixie_d's review against another edition

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2.0

Meh, it wasn't a good read. The first chapter -- and I had been looking forward to learning more about Delmonico's -- was so snoozy I had to put it down and then when I finally picked it back up because it was going to be due at the library I had to skip that chapter to keep moving. Then I just skimmed the last couple of chapters. I don't think it was very compellingly written, nor did it deliver on the "restaurants that changed America" promise of the title. It was more "restaurants that reflected what was going on in America at the time." Some of the more historical restaurants seem to have been chosen because there was plenty of source material for that particular restaurant, not because it was necessarily "the one." It felt like I was reading somebody's very long college paper.