The Restaurant: A 2,000-Year History of Dining Out

William Sitwell

apr, 2020 · Diversion Books

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The acclaimed food critic’s two-thousand-year history of going out to eat, from the ancient Romans in Pompeii to the luxurious Michelin-starred restaurants of today.

Starting with the surprisingly sophisticated dining scene in the city of Pompeii, William Sitwell embarks on a romp through culinary history, meeting the characters and discovering the events that shape the way we eat today. The Daily Telegraph restaurant critic and famously acerbic MasterChef commentator, Sitwell discusses everything from the far-reaching influences of the Muslim world to the unintended consequences of the French Revolution. He reveals the full hideous glory of Britain’s post-WWII dining scene and fathoms the birth of sensitive gastronomy in the counterculture of 1960’s America.

This is a story of human ingenuity as individuals endeavor to do that most fundamental of things: to feed people. It is a story of art, politics, revolution, desperate need, and decadent pleasure. The Restaurant is jam-packed with extraordinary facts and colorful episodes; an accessible and humorous history of a truly universal subject.

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William Sitwell is an award-winning editor, broadcaster, writer, and food critic for The Telegraph. He has appeared at literary and food festivals across the globe, and as the long-standing editor of Waitrose Food magazine, he was named Editor of the Year on numerous occasions. A frequent guest and presenter on TV and radio?he’s best known as a critic on the BBC show MasterChef?Sitwell also contributes regularly on the subject of food for the Daily Mail, The Times, and The Guardian. He entertains diners with William Sitwell's Supper Club, and his weekly radio show, Biting Talk, featured the biggest names and new talent from the world of food and drink. Sitwell lives in Northamptonshire, England.