These are books from my library, organized by date and beginning with the most recent. Books without publication dates are listed last. My library contains books of all sorts, whether guides, recipe collections, histories of individual restaurants, memoirs, academic studies, classroom texts, or industry trade books. I proudly count myself among the few who collect obsolete restaurant guide books.
A Century of Dining Out: The American Story in Menus, 1841-1941. Henry Voigt. The Grolier Club, 2023.
White Burgers, Black Cash: From Black Exclusion to Exploitation. Naa Oyo A. Kwate, Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2023.
Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America. Marcia Chatelain. Liveright Publishing, 2021.
Lost Restaurants of Miami. Seth H. Bramson. American Palate/The History Press, 2020.
Dining Out: A Global History of Restaurants. Katie Rawson and Elliott Shore. Reaktion Books, Ltd., 2019.
Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America’s Fast Food Kingdom. Adam Chandler. Flatiron Books, 2019.
Hotbox: Inside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest Business. Matt Lee and Ted Lee. Henry Holt and Co., 2019.
Lost Restaurants of Chicago. Greg Borzo. American Palate/The History Press, 2018.
Lost Restaurants of St. Louis. Ann Lemons Pollack. American Palate/The History Press, 2018.
May We Suggest: Restaurant Menus and the Art of Persuasion. Alison Pearlman. Surrey Books/Agate Imprint, 2018.
Popovers and Candlelight: Patricia Murphy and the Rise and Fall of a Restaurant Empire. Marcia Biederman. State Univ. of New York Press/Excelsior Editions, 2018.
Dining Out in Boston. James C. O’Connell. University Press of New England, 2017.
The Culinarians: Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining. David S. Shields. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2017.
The Lunch Box, Crossroads of Williamsburg. Anthony J. Thomas Jr. Off the Common Books, 2017.
Road Food. Jane & Michael Stern. Clarkson Potter, 10th edition, 2017.
Supersizing Urban America: How Inner Cities Got Fast Food with Government Help. Chin Jou. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2017.
Classic Restaurants of Oklahoma City. Dave Cathey. American Palate/The History Press, 2016.
The Ethnic Restaurateur. Krishnendu Ray. Bloomsbury, 2016.
Restaurant Republic: The Rise of Public Dining in Boston. Kelly Erby. Univ. of Minnesota, 2016.
Ten Restaurants That Changed America. Paul Freedman. Liveright/W. W. Norton, 2016.
Lost Restaurants of Denver. Robert & Kristen Autobee. American Palate/The History Press, 2015.
Lost Restaurants of Louisville. Stephen Hacker & Michelle Turner. American Palate/The History Press, 2015.
Front of the House: Restaurant Manners, Misbehaviors and Secrets. Jeff Benjamin with Greg Jones. Burgess Lea Press, 2015.
To Live and Dine in Dixie. Angela Jill Cooley. Univ. of Georgia Press, 2015.
Duncan Hines: How a Traveling Salesman Became the Most Trusted Name in Food. Louis Hatchett. Univ. Press of Kentucky, 2014.
Behind the Kitchen Door. Saru Jayaraman. ILR Press/Cornell Univ. Press, 2013.
Historic Restaurants of Washington D.C. John DeFerrari. American Palate/The History Press, 2013.
Repast: Dining Out at the Dawn of the New American Century, 1900-1910. Michael Lesy and Lisa Stoller. W. W. Norton & Co., 2013.
Smart Casual: The Transformation of Gourmet Restaurant Style in America. Alison Pearlman. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2013.
Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine One Plate at a Time. Adrian Miller, Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2013.
The Supper Club Book: Celebration of a Midwest Tradition. Dave Hoekstra. Chicago Review Press, 2013.
The White Spot Cookbook. Kerry Gold. Figure Publishing, 2013.
Classic Diners of Massachusetts. Larry Cultrera. The History Press/American Palate, 2011.
Come & Get It! McDonaldization and the Disappearance of Local Food From a Central Illinois Community. Robert Dirks. McLean County Museum of History, 2011.
Menu Design in America: A Visual and Culinary History of Graphic Styles and Design, 1850-1985. Jim Heimann, Steven Heller, John Mariani. Taschen, 2011.
Turning the Tables: Restaurants and the Rise of the American Middle Class, 1880-1920. Andrew P. Haley. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2011.
Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants. John Jung. Yin and Yang Press, 2010.
Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York. William Grimes. North Point Press, 2009.
Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States. Andrew Coe. Oxford Univ. Press, 2009.
Dirty Dishes: A Restaurateur’s Story of Passion, Pain, and Pasta. Pino Luongo and Andrew Friedman. Bloomsbury, 2009.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food. Jennifer 8. Lee. Twelve, 2009.
The Hungry Cowboy: Service and Community in a Neighborhood Restaurant. Karla A. Erickson. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2009.
Kitchens: The Culture of Restaurant Work. Gary Allen Fine. Univ. of Cal. Press, 2009. [originally published 1996]
Republic of Barbecue: Stories Beyond the Brisket. Elizabeth S. D. Engelhardt. Univ. of Texas Press, 2009.
Save the Deli. David Sax. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.
Seattle’s Historic Restaurants. Robin Shannon. Arcadia Press, 2008.
Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business. Danny Meyer. Harper, 2008.
Waiter Rant. Anon “The Waiter.” Ecco/HarperCollins, 2008.
Cafe Indiana: A Guide to Indiana’s Down-Home Cafes. Joanne Raetz Stuttgen. Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 2007.
The Restaurants Book: Ethnographies of Where We Eat. David Beriss and David Sutton, eds. Berg, 2007.
Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter. Phoebe Damrosch. William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2007.
Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany. Bill Buford. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Romany Marie: The Queen of Greenwich Village. Robert Schulman. Butler Books, 2006.
When Everybody Ate at Schrafft’s. Joan Kanel Slomanson. Barricade Books, 2006.
The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine. Rudolph Chelminski. Gotham Books, 2005.
Cafe Wisconsin: A Guide to Wisconsin’s Down-Home Cafes. Joanne Raetz Stuttgen. Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 2004.
Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life. Mimi Sheraton. William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2004.
England Eats Out: 1830-Present. John Burnett. Pearson Education Limited, 2004.
Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture. Alan Hess. Chronicle Books, 2004.
Honk for Service: A Man, a Tray and the Glory Day of Drive-Ins. Lou Ellen McGinley with Stephanie Spurr. Tray Day Publishing, 2004.
London Caffs. Edwin Heathcote, photographs by Sue Barr. Wiley-Academy, 2004.
Tray Chic: Celebrating Indiana’s Cafeteria Culture. Sam Stall. Guild Press-Emmis Publishing, 2004.
California Dish: What I Saw (and Cooked) at the American Culinary Revolution. Jeremiah Tower. Free Press, 2003.
Cleveland Food Memories. Gail Ghetia Bellamy. Gray & Company, Publishers, 2003.
Eating Out in Europe: Picnics, Gourmet Dining and Snacks Since the Late Eighteenth Century. Marc Jacobs and Peter Scholliers, eds. Berg, 2003.
Minnesota Eats Out: An Illustrated History. Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2003.
The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart’s Masterpiece. Lorraine B. Diehl and Marianne Hardart. Clarkson, Potter Publishers, 2002.
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Eric Schlosser. Harper Perennial, 2002.
Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 500 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners & Much More. Jane and Michael Stern. Broadway Books, 2002.
Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family. Patricia Volk. Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.
Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America. Jan Whitaker. St. Martin’s Press, 2002.
The Higbee Company and the Silver Grille. Richard E. Karberg with Judith Karberg and Jane Hazen. Cleveland Landmarks Press, Inc., 2001.
Kitchen Confidential. Anthony Bourdain. Harper Perennial, 2001.
Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress. Debra Ginsberg. Perennial, 2001.
Bar and Restaurant Logos. David E. Carter, ed. HBI/HarperCollins Publishers, 2000.
Extreme Restaurants. Birgit Krols, translated by Gunter Segers. Tectum Publishers, 2000.
The Invention of the Restaurant: Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture. Rebecca L. Spang. Harvard Univ. Press, 2000.
Selling Steakburgers: The Growth of a Corporate Culture. Robert P. Cronin. Guild Press of Indiana, Inc., 2000.
Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age. John A. Jakle & Keith A. Sculle. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1999.
On the Town in New York: The Landmark History of Eating, Drinking, and Entertainments from the American Revolution to the Food Revolution. Michael and Ariane Batterbury. Routledge, 1999.
“A Woman’s Place Is in the Kitchen”: The Evolution of Women Chefs. Ann Cooper. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1998.
Beyond Toasted Ravioli: A Tour of St. Louis Restaurants. Joe Pollack and Ann Lemons Pollack. Virginia Publishing Company, 1998.
Dining Out: Secrets from America’s Leading Critics, Chefs, and Restaurateurs. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998.
Justine’s: Memories & Recipes. Janet Stuart Smith. Wimmer Cookbooks, 1998.
May I Take Your Order?: American Menu Design, 1920-1960. Jim Heimann. Chronicle Books, 1998.
Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia. James L. Watson, ed. Stanford Univ. Press, 1997.
Selling ’em by the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food. David Gerard Hogan. NYU Press, 1997.
Car Hops and Curb Service: A History of American Drive-In Restaurants, 1920-1960. Jim Heimann. Chronicle Books, 1996.
The World of the Paris Cafe: Sociability among the French Working Class, 1789-1914. W. Scott Haine. The Johns Hopkins Press, 1996.
The Four Seasons: A History of America’s Premier Restaurant. John Mariani with Alex Von Bidder. Crown Publishers, Inc., 1994.
The French Cafe. Marie-France Boyer, photographs by Eric Morin. Thames & Hudson, 1994.
American Diner, Then and Now. Richard J. S. Gutman. Harper Perennial, 1993.
Hamburger Heaven: The Illustrated History of the Hamburger. Jeffrey Tennyson. Hyperion, 1993.
A la Carte: A Tour of Dining History. Lou Greenstein. Glen Cove PBC International, Inc., 1992.
Fanny at Chez Panisse: A Child’s Restaurant Adventure with 46 Recipes. Alice Waters, with Bob Carrau and Patricia Curtan. Illustrated by Ann Arnold. HarperCollins, 1992.
Restaurants That Work: Case Studies of the Best in the Industry. Martin E. Dorf. Whitney Library of Design, 1992.
The African-American Travel Guide. Wayne C. Robinson. Hunter Publishing Inc., 1991.
America Eats Out: An Illustrated History of Restaurants, Taverns, Coffee Shops, Speakeasies, and Other Establishments That Have Fed Us for 350 Years. John Mariani. William Morrow & Co., 1991.
Dishing It Out: Waitresses and Their Unions in the Twentieth Century. Dorothy Sue Cobble. Univ. of Illinois Press, 1991.
Recycled As Restaurants: Case Studies in Adaptive Reuse. Virginia Croft. Whitney Library of Design, 1991.
Tea and Taste: The Glasgow Tea Rooms, 1875-1975. Perilla Kinchin. White Cockade, 1991.
From Boarding House to Bistro: The American Restaurant Then and Now. Richard Pillsbury. Unwin Hyman, 1990.
Food and Beverage Service. Bruce H. Axler and Carol A. Litrides. John Wiley & Sons, 1990.
The New Economics of Fast Food. Robert L. Emerson. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.
Dining Out: A Sociology of Modern Manners. Joanne Finkelstein. NYU Press, 1989.
Ekiben: The Art of the Japanese Box Lunch. Junichi Kamekura, Mamoru Watanabe, Gideon Bosker. Chronicle Books, 1989.
Luncheonette: Ice Cream, Beverage, and Sandwich Recipes from the Golden Age of the Soda Fountain. Patricia M. Kelly, ed., illustrated by Carol Vidinghoff. Crown Publishers Inc., 1989.
Restaurant Reality: A Manager’s Guide. Michael Lefever. John Wiley & Sons, 1989.
What’s Cooking at Moody’s Diner: 60 Years of Recipes and Reminiscences. Nancy Moody Genthner, edited by Kerry Leichtman. Dancing Bear Books, 1989.
The Boston Globe Restaurant Book. Robert Levey. The Globe Pequot Press, 1988.
Mariani’s Coast-to-Coast Dining Guide. John Mariani, ed. Times Books, 1986.
Orange Roofs and Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants. Philip Langdon. Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.
The English Pub. Andy Whipple and Rob Anderson. Viking Penquin Inc., 1985.
Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture. Alan Hess. Chronicle Books, 1985.
Roadside Empires: How the Chains Franchised America. Stan Luxenberg. Viking, 1985.
Cafes and Cabarets of Montmartre. Mariel Oberthur, translated by Sheila Azoulai. Peregrine Smith Book/Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., 1984.
Cincinnati’s Finest Restaurants. Robert Turizziani. M. R. Cahill Company, 1982.
The Russian Tea Room Cookbook. Faith Stewart-Gordon and Nika Hazelton. Richard Marek, 1981.
Entertaining with Style: Recipes from Great American Restaurants. Philip Morris Inc. for Benson & Hedges, 1980.
American Diner. Richard J. S. Gutman and Elliott Kaufman. Harper & Row Publishers, 1979.
Where to Eat in America. New Edition. William Rice and Burton Wolf, eds. Random House, 1979.
100 Recipes from 100 of the Greatest Restaurants. Pat Jester, ed. Philip Morris Inc. for Benson & Hedges 100’s, 1978.
The All New Underground Gourmet: The Classic Guide to Budget Dining in New York. Milton Glaser and Jerome Snyder. Simon & Schuster, 1977.
Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s. Ray Kroc with Robert Anderson. Henry Regnery Co., 1977.
Holiday Magazine Award Cookbook. Charlotte Turgeon, ed. The Curtis Publishing Company, 1976.
Planning Profits in the Food and Lodging Industry. Peter Dukas. Cahners Books, 1976.
Menus: Analysis and Planning. Lothar A. Kreck. CBI Publishing Co., Inc., 1975.
My Life as a Restaurant. Alice May Brock. The Overlook Press and The Bookstore Press, 1975.
Focus on . . . adding eye appeal to foods. Bruce H. Axler. ITT Educational Publishing, 1974.
Focus on . . . practical wine knowledge. Bruce H. Axler. ITT Educational Publishing, 1974.
Focus on . . . showmanship in the dining room. Bruce H. Axler. ITT Educational Publishing, 1974.
The Long Island Underground Gourmet. Barbara Rader. Simon & Schuster, 1973.
The Revised New Orleans Underground Gourmet. Richard H. Collin. Simon & Schuster, 1973.
The Colony Cookbook. Gene Cavallero, Jr. and Ted James. The Bobbs Merrill Company, Inc., 1972.
The Boston Underground Gourmet. Joseph P. Kahn and E. J. Kahn, Jr. Simon & Schuster, 1972.
The L. A. Gourmet: Favorite Recipes from Famous Los Angeles Restaurants. Jeanne Voltz and Burks Hamner. Doubleday & Co., 1971.
The Washington D.C. Underground Gourmet. Judith and Milton Viorst. Simon & Schuster, 1970.
The San Francisco Underground Gourmet. R. B. Read. Simon & Schuster, 1969.
The Guide to Convenience Foods: How to Use, Plan, Prepare, Present. Patterson Publishing Co. Inc., 1968.
Delmonico’s: A Century of Splendor. Lately Thomas. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1967.
Great Restaurants of the United States and Their Recipes. Kay Daniel Picot. Leonce Picot, ed. Illustrated by Al Kocab. Research Unlimited, Inc., 1967.
Massachusetts: A Guide to Good Eating. Massachusetts Restaurant Service Corp., 1965.
A Cook’s Tour of San Francisco: The Best Restaurants and Their Recipes. Doris Muscatine. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1963.
Blueberry Hill Menu Cookbook. Elsie Masterson. Vail-Ballou Press, Inc., 1963.
The New Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Restaurants. Golden Press, 1963.
Glow of Candlelight: The Story of Patricia Murphy. Patricia Murphy. Prentice-Hall, 1961.
Great Restaurants of America. Ted Patrick and Silas Spitzer. Drawings by Ronald Searle. Bramhall House, 1960.
Interiors Book of Restaurants. William Wilson Atkin and Joan Adler, eds. Whitney Library of Design, 1960.
The Diners’ Club Cookbook: Great Recipes from Great Restaurants. Myra Waldo. Gramercy Publishers, 1959.
I Want to Be a Restaurant Owner. Carla Greene. Children’s Press, 1959.
Fine Bouche: A History of the Restaurant in France. Pierre Andrieu, translated by Arthur L. Hayward. Cassell and Company Ltd., 1956.
Gancel’s Encyclopedia of Modern Cooking. Chef’s Reference. J. Gancel. 11th edition. Radio City Book Store, 1956.
The Longchamps Cookbook: Wherein Are Revealed Some of the Culinary Secrets That Have Made Longchamps Restaurants Famous. Max Winkler. Harper & Bros., 1954.
The Second Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places. Nancy Kennedy, comp. Simon & Schuster, 1954.
The Waiters. William Fisher. Signet Books, 1953.
Papa’s Table d’Hote. Maria Sermolino. J. B. Lippincott Company, 1952.
Vittles and Vice: an extraordinary guide to what’s cooking on Chicago’s Near North Side. Patricia Bronte. Henry Regnery Co., 1952.
The Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places. Nancy Kennedy, comp. Simon & Schuster, 1950.
Gourmet’s Guide to Good Eating. Published by Gourmet magazine, distributed by Garden City Publishing Co., 1948.
Adventures in Good Eating. Duncan Hines. Adventures in Good Eating, 1947.
The Colony: Portrait of a Restaurant — and Its Famous Recipes. Iles Brody. Greenberg, 1945.
Home at the Range with George Rector. George Rector. Rector Publishing Co., 1939.
Eating Around San Francisco. Ruth Thompson and Chef Louis Hanges. Suttonhouse Ltd., 1937.
Serving Food for Profit: The Tea Room and Coffee Shop. Woman’s Institute, 1932 (1946 ed.).
Dining in New York. Rian James. John Day Company, 1930 (revised edition, 1931).
The Secret of Successful Restaurants. Alice Foote MacDougall. Harper & Bros., 1929.
Salads and Sandwiches and Specialty Dishes for Restaurants and Tea Rooms. Emory Hawcock. Harper & Brothers, 1928.
Restaurant Management: Principles and Practice. J. O. Dahl. Harper & Bros., 1927.
Tea Room and Cafeteria Management. R. N. Elliott. Little, Brown & Co., 1927.
Ideas for Refreshment Rooms. John Willy, 1923.
Cooking for Profit: A New American Cook Book. 3rd ed. Jessup Whitehead. Jessup Whitehead & Co., Publishers, 1893.
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The Ford Times Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from Popular American Restaurants. Nancy Kennedy, comp. Simon & Schuster, n.d. (1968).
The Soda Fountain and Luncheonette in the Restaurant. The Liquid Carbonic Corp., n.d.
The Story of the Tam o’Shanter Inn. Linda Cirigliano. Lawry’s Restaurants, n.d.
A Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Lazarus. “Carmel Appetite.” no date, no publisher.
It's great to hear from readers and I take time to answer queries. I can't always find what you are looking for, but I do appreciate getting thank yous no matter what the outcome.
Restaurant-ing through history 
Hiya! I am trying to purchase your books, but when I click on the image, I find that, in fact, they are not links. Where can I purchase them?
Hi! You can get Service and Style and/or Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn as e-books on Amazon. S&S is also available used — or I can send you a new one. I think I have a single copy of The World of Department Stores also. Best to email me at janwhitaker@verizon.net — Thanks for your interest.
Wow wow wow this is my new favorite blog! Thank you!!!
Dear Jan, What a fantastic site you’ve put together! A valuable resource for anyone interested in restaurants.
That’s it. Just wanted to say it. Thanks!
Rick C.
I am a documentary film maker, producing a programme for Channel News Asia. Would love to get your email address to send you more details
Jan and friends: Pleased to advise that our LOST RESTAURANTS of MIAMI, published by The History Press of Charleston, will be out on November 2nd. With 144 pages and 120 photos it is the first-ever history of the club and restaurant business in Dade County (it covers the entire county) and if you are from South Florida or enjoyed some of the great restaurants I know you will love this volume. All the best, folks, and stay safe.
Cordially,
Seth
Thank you so much for writing this article! My grandmother was the original owner of The Lunch Box restaurant and it is not easy finding information about things so far past. I would love to know how I might obtain a copy of Mr. Thomas’ book ❤
I got my copy at the Williamsburg Pharmacy, 413-268-3387, but I don’t know if they still sell it there.
Jan – My addiction is mostly cookbooks, but my wife returned from one of her trips to Wisconsin with a present for me: “Wisconsin Supper Clubs, an Old-Fashioned Experience”, by Ron Faiola. Better shot (he is a photographer) than written, it grabbed me mostly for its evocation of a Midwest a lot like the one I grew up in, only even more clubby and homey, and more than a bit insular. For all its weaknesses it gives an excellent portrayal of a cultural phenomenon that is on the wane but still holding on, and one I kept wishing I could explore for myself. Also, having lived in Nashville for almost 30 years, where “Family Restaurant” is code for No Alcohol, I was pleased to see that all of the places mentioned had full and very busy bars. No recipes are given, but as the dishes are simply Northern Midwestern home cooking, they are hardly needed.
Hi Will, I don’t know that book but I have one that sounds quite similar, The Supper Club Book, A Celebration of Midwest Tradition, by Dave Hoekstra. Also with plenty of bars. I grew up in St. Louis but I don’t remember restaurants called supper clubs there and I’ve never quite figured out why. I don’t remember that many places called family restaurants either, but St. Louis never seemed to be an anti-drinking city, rather the opposite.
Hi Jan, thanks for stopping by my blog, Side/Dishes – you’ve fascinating work here – an everyperson’s archaeology of dining! Very enjoyable. Your homepage links to an NPR and Marketplace interview, is this still available somewhere? I’d love to listen in if so.
Thanks! I think those links are still good.
Nonetheless, really cool stuff. Ducks — restaurants shaped like the foods they purvey, for example — are weirdly international. I studied abroad in Azerbaijan (smack dab in the heart of tea culture, between Russia, Turkey, and Iran) and was quite amazed to stop at a chaixana (tea house) shaped like a traditional tea kettle, there in the remote and foggy foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. I’ll try to find a picture for you if I can! Just funny to find it there, ostensibly from the Soviet days, on the opposite side of a social and geopolitical chasm that persisted for so many years…
Thanks for telling me about that!
Jan,
I have several WWII era photos of my mother in Washington, D.C. during the early 40’s. She was a Navy WAVE and frequented area restaurants. I am trying to locate information on THE WINDSOR ROOM, EL PATIO RESTAURANT, TREASURE ISLAND. The photos are filled with military personnel. Would love to hear about some of these places my mother visited while stationed there. Thanks!
Joyce
Sorry, I think you have directed this question incorrectly. I live in Cleveland, and have no info on DC restaurants. Sorry I cannot help you.
Joyce, I have checked John DeFerrari’s book Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C., which covers the history of so many restaurants in Washington, but only found a single brief mention of El Patio, which was a kind of night club. I am sorry that I don’t have any information about the restaurants you are interested in. Sadly, most of the vast number of restaurants of the 20th century have left behind little trace.
My name is Patricia McDaniel. I chair the Historic National Road Yard Sale which extends for 824 miles from St. Louis to Baltimore. This event is ALWAYS held on the FIRST Wednesday after Memorial Day. This year, the yard sale will be May 30-June 3, 2012.
I’ve made three round trip Promotional Tours across the 824 miles and have edited three Historic National Road Yard Sale Cookbooks which are a compilation of regional recipes from restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and individuals and historic Restaurants no longer in business.
I’m in the process of compiling recipes for the fourth Historic National Road Yard Sale Cookbook. I’m particularly interested in receiving recipes from Historic Restaurants and food-related businesses along US 40 which are no longer in business. Please consider sharing any/or all such recipes with me by June 15!!
The current Historic National Road Yard Sale Cookbook is available for $20 including P & I.
In advance, thanks so much!!
Thank you providing the name, The Crystal Room, of Wanamaker’s restaurant. Currently I am writing a book entitled The Ladies Who Lunch and Their Recipes, which will be released by Rizzoli in Oct. 2012. A section of the book deals with women eating in department stores. Do you have any other info. on the names of the tea room is other stores. I have The Zodiac Room for Neiman-Marcus, The Magnolia Room for Rich’s Atlanta, The Charleston Garden for B. Altman, The Bird Cage for Lord & Taylor, The Walnut Room for Marshall Field, The American Restaurant at Hall’s in Kansas City but I coming up short of Bulloks, Wilshire LA, Hudson’s Detroit, Sakowitz Houston, Loveman’s Birmingham, and Maison Blanc New Orleans. Can you please offer any help. Thank you.
Can’t wait to read your book.
Great book idea! Hudson’s had a Riverview Room. Bullock’s tea room may not have had a name but the store also had a Cactus Room and a Salle Moderne. Judging from many of the menus I have seen, I don’t think that all tea rooms had names. I have a menu from Loveman, Joseph & Loeb (no date) which simply says “Tea Room and Soda Fountain Menu.” Some other stores that stand out: Higbee’s Silver Grille (Cleveland); Lazarus’ Chintz Room (Columbus); G. Fox’s Connecticut Room (Hartford); Burdine’s Hibiscus Room (Miami); Hutzler’s Colonial Restaurant (Baltimore); Hess’s Patio (Allentown); and Rich’s Magnolia Room. There are so many more.
From Rochester, NY… Sibley’s had The Tower Restaurant, McCurdy’s had The Garden Room, The Oak Room, and The Jet Terrace.
From Buffalo, NY… Adam Meldrum & Anderson Co, had The Yankee Doodle Room.
Woodward and Lothrop in Washington, D.C. had a Tea Room (I can’t find any further name on the post cards that picture it.) They also had a [soda]Fountain Room. I understand that either Thalheimer’s or Miller and Rhodes, in Richmond, VA had a dining room/tea room. My husband ate at one in the late 40s, but can’t remember which store it was. Indeed, they might both have had such accommodations.
You are correct that both of Richmond’s major department stores had tea rooms. I don’t think W&L’s tea room had a specific name. Some stores didn’t name their tea rooms.
I see that someone has already added The Silver Grille, Higbee Company, Cleveland, Ohio. I am one of the co-authors of several books about this tea room. In addition, Cleveland had the Geranium Room in The Halle Bros. department store, also on Euclid Avenue.
Jane Hazen
As someone who enjoys cooking, eating and dining out I thoroughly enjoy this blog. Only someone dedicated would put in the work that must be required to maintain the site.
The other reason for writing is that I am a lover of the history of New York City. I have become intrigued with the bars and dining places that existed prior to 1900 and are still extant (not necessarily by the original owners or their families).
I know that in 1898 (I may have the year wrong) such establishments had to turn in their City licenses and reapply to the new NY State Liquor Authority. A few years ago someone, with whom I’ve been in contact, was hired by the City to put all that information into a data base. No one in the City government seems to know where it is located I would appreciate it if anyone who reads this can help.
In addition, I now have a list of about 20 such pre-1900, still extant establishments (and have eaten and/or drank at most of them). If anyone can help me add to the list, that too would be appreciated.
I can be contacted at:
Jacques@thecitybythesea.net
So happy to see you have The Silver Grille book on your list. Judy and I had a great time writing and recipe testing; many of the recipes stand the test of time, and we enjoy them still.
The Silver Grille itself has been renovated, though Higbee’s is long gone, and is available for private parties. It was a lovely place! My kids always wanted to sit at the table of choice, right next to the fish pond!
Hi Jan,
I just finished my MA at NYU, and my thesis looked at the evolution of family restaurants, with a focus on Howard Johnson’s advertising to homemakers in the postwar era. I wish I’d known about your great website while I was researching and writing it! Let me know if you’d like a copy of the thesis, I am happy to share my work (although you probably already know 95% of the information it presents).
Best,
Shayne