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THURSDAY: Travel through Three Decades of Dining in Philadelphia
On Thursday, May 20, the Philadelphia History Museum will host a panel discussion exploring trends in Philadelphia dining over the past three decades. The event, which will feature commentary from several of the city's top restaurateurs (Ellen Yin, Fork; Jack McDavid, Jack's Firehouse; Steven Cook, Zahav, Xochitl, Percy Street Barbecue), seems timely. With new restaurants opening weekly and interest in food at a seeming record high, we all might find it palate-cleansing, so to speak, to pause between bites and reflect on how much has changed. "Philadelphia dining now is light years ahead of where it was back in the 1980s, and mostly for the better,â says Michael Klein, columnist at the Inquirer and moderator of Thursday's event. The diversity of options has improved considerably, he stresses; Philly now has "much more depth and variety" across many types of cuisine. "Take Chinese," says Klein. "In the 1980s, we had some Hong Kong-style [restaurants], plus Cantonese and a rare Szechuan. I can count specialists from all over China now. We had ... a handful of sushi restaurants. Now we have hundreds.â He credits "the Food Network and its ilk for much of the progress in the mid-'90s. Food and cooking are very visual, and shows inspired kids and career-changers to seek a life in the kitchen.â From his perspective, the so-called ârestaurant renaissanceâ was largely an industry-driven transformation. It would be hard to argue that Americans were demanding sweetbreads and braised pork belly in restaurants before such delicacies became commonplace on TV and chefs began catering to expectations the burgeoning American foodie class was only beginning to know it had. Perhaps Klein is right. After all, it was the food-loving French who came up with the word entrepreneur.
THURSDAY: Travel through Three Decades of Dining in Philadelphia
On Thursday, May 20, the Philadelphia History Museum will host a panel discussion exploring trends in Philadelphia dining over the past three decades. The event, which will feature commentary from several of the city's top restaurateurs (Ellen Yin, Fork; Jack McDavid, Jack's Firehouse; Steven Cook, Zahav, Xochitl, Percy Street Barbecue), seems timely. With new restaurants opening weekly and interest in food at a seeming record high, we all might find it palate-cleansing, so to speak, to pause between bites and reflect on how much has changed. "Philadelphia dining now is light years ahead of where it was back in the 1980s, and mostly for the better,â says Michael Klein, columnist at the Inquirer and moderator of Thursday's event. The diversity of options has improved considerably, he stresses; Philly now has "much more depth and variety" across many types of cuisine. "Take Chinese," says Klein. "In the 1980s, we had some Hong Kong-style [restaurants], plus Cantonese and a rare Szechuan. I can count specialists from all over China now. We had ... a handful of sushi restaurants. Now we have hundreds.â He credits "the Food Network and its ilk for much of the progress in the mid-'90s. Food and cooking are very visual, and shows inspired kids and career-changers to seek a life in the kitchen.â From his perspective, the so-called ârestaurant renaissanceâ was largely an industry-driven transformation. It would be hard to argue that Americans were demanding sweetbreads and braised pork belly in restaurants before such delicacies became commonplace on TV and chefs began catering to expectations the burgeoning American foodie class was only beginning to know it had. Perhaps Klein is right. After all, it was the food-loving French who came up with the word entrepreneur.
"Three Decades of Dining in Philadelphia: the 80s, the 90s, and the 00s" | Thu., May 20, 6-7 p.m., Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch streets) meeting area, accessed through Arch St. North side entrance. Seating is limited; call 215-685-4825 for advance tickets, $5.
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