Appetite City

This lecture by William Grimes will explore the rich culinary history of New York, from the simple chophouses and oyster bars of the early 19th century to today’s world of celebrity chefs. Food and restaurants reflected the larger changes transforming the city — physical growth, the economy, complex social rituals, and changing ethnic makeup — but also the genius of those culinary visionaries who changed the way New Yorkers ate. Central to the rise of social dining was Delmonico’s, the restaurant of choice for the business and social elite and the exclusive caterer to New York’s silk-stocking Seventh Regiment at the Armory. Photographs, menus, and other memorabilia, including 19th century originals from the Armory’s archives, will highlight this delectable journey.
William Grimes, the author of Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York (2009), was the restaurant critic of The New York Times from 1999 to 2004 and now writes obituaries for the paper. He has also written Straight Up or On the Rocks (2001) and My Fine Feathered Friend (2002) and was the co-author of The New York Times Guide to New York City Restaurants (2004).