An important value in the ancient Greek world was xenia – hospitality.  There were highly respected social codes to be followed when guests arrived, whether their arrival was planned or not.  Homer depicts several such scenes in the Odyssey.  For example, when...

After the French Revolution, the ruling and aristocratic classes were overthrown, and as a result the chefs in their homes found themselves suddenly out of work.  They took their culinary skills to a new kind of establishment – the restaurant – the basic model of...

One of the first things that comes to mind when we think of Italy is food.  But did you know that in Italy you can’t always find your favorite dishes in just any restaurants?  The Italians have more than just the ristorante, and each different kind of establishment...

In the last couple of years, as all things food related have risen sharply in popularity, the American culinary landscape has seen a number of new trends and food obsessions: farm to table, new “it” vegetables, and avocado everything.  There are a number of reasons...

Hosting a dinner party can seem like a daunting task, even if you are a great cook.  Planning a menu, making a guest list, setting the table and timing out the different courses is a tall order when put all together.  That said, there are guidelines to follow that...

The first hotels, or inns, were small, simple establishments that hosted travelers making long journeys on foot or on horseback.  As culture and technology have changed over the centuries, hotels have adapted to meet the times.  Masters of adaptation, hotels in 2017...

  The original definition of a cocktail, according to early cookbooks, is simple: spirits, bitters, sugar, and water.  What’s less simple is determining where the term cocktail came from.  It appeared printed in the U.S. for the first time in 1803, and even...

For the first time in history Americans are spending more money at restaurants and take out establishments than they are at supermarkets, marking a huge cultural shift in both dining and spending habits.     According to Business Insider, the average...

Here’s a fairly plausible day in the food life of an American: bagel for breakfast, tacos for lunch, spaghetti for dinner.  Although these foods are so commonplace today, we wouldn’t be eating them if it weren’t for the various immigrant communities who introduced...

  Although it’s difficult for us today to imagine making long journeys by foot or by sea, the medieval world was a bustling place.  Merchants, diplomats, and individuals on religious pilgrimages regularly traveled across the European continent, and sometimes...

The earliest traces of alcohol that researchers have found are in China, on the inside of vases that are roughly 9,000 years old.  The oldest known beer recipe, from a Sumerian poem, is about 4,000 years old.  Clearly, then, for nearly as long as there have been...

Typically, when we hear the word sommelier, we think of someone who can tell you what kind of grapes a glass of wine contains just by smelling it.  Nobody thinks of, say, milk.  Until now. Bas de Groot is the world’s first (self-titled) Milk Sommelier, and his job,...

The first State Dinner at the White House was hosted in 1874 by President Grant, who hosted King Kalakaua of Hawaii and served 29 courses to about 40 people.  While the dinners are smaller now, they are just as elegant.  White House State Dinners are known for being...

People have been eating at tables for thousands of years, but setting the table, the way we think about it today, is a more recent concept. In the Middle Ages, at the dining tables of the aristocracy, all of the dishes were typically laid out on the table at once. ...

Classics are classics for a reason.  But have you ever wondered where they come from? Here are the stories between four classic cocktails: The Martini Legend has it that the martini was invented in Martinez, California.  A goldminer wanted to celebrate a prosperous...

When you make hotdogs at home, you likely just grill them and add some ketchup and mustard.  Sometimes simple is the most satisfying.  Other times,  however, it’s good to change things up.  Across the U.S., different regions are known for their take on the American...

Sometimes, good things can come out of sticky situations. In the 1550s, German brewers were prohibited from making beer during the summer.  The idea was to prevent brewery fires that had occurred in various places due to the combination of brewing techniques,...

Marriott has announced a new partnership with Amazon.  Together, the companies will work to install its Alexa technology in Marriott hotel rooms.  Marriott hopes this will improve guest experiences, and Amazon is hoping that this could be a foray into the hospitality...

When we think of American wine, we tend to think of California.  Although the Golden State wineries are certainly the most well-known, wine production in the U.S. actually began quite some time ago, and some 2,300 miles away. Jean-Jacques Dufour, who had previously...