How did restaurants become such a staple in American culture? Tune in for a lively discussion with historian and professor Cindy Lobel on this week's episode of A Taste of the Past. Linda and Cindy chat about the history of restaurants in New York, and explain how our foodways were urbanized and colonial taverns evolved into the modern day restaurant. From Delmonico's to boarding houses, learn more about the emergence of the restaurant and our gastronomic growth. This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market

"The growth of restaurants in New York is directly related to the growth of New York."

--historian Cindy Lobel on A Taste of the Past

John Fraser of Dovetail talks about "fine dining", and New American cuisine.

This week's topic on Taste Matters is cooking! Today Dave Arnold switches sides from host to guest, talking with Mitchell Davis about the true meaning of being a chef, mixologist, and food enthusiast. As chief mixologist at Booker and Dax in the East Village, Dave talks about the current state of cooking today, from the molecular gastronomy movement, to working towards the main goal of inspiring current chefs to make the best foods that they can. From finding inspiration in local and historical ingredients, to new techniques and high-tech equipment, Dave explains that as the professional cooking world continues to expand, chef's will continue to invent new dishes, techniques, and crafts. With the large amount of information available via the internet, people at home are beginning to cook more frequently, and learning to eat and bake through experimentation at home rather than first-hand teaching. Tune-in to learn more about these issues that we experience today, and how the cooking industry continues to grow. Today's show has been sponsored by Underground Meats. Thanks to Cookies for today's music.

"Cooking as a craft and profession is all about having control over your ingredients." -- Dave Arnold on Taste Matters