New York City didn’t invent the restaurant. That honor goes to France, and even in the United States, the earliest-known restaurant was in Boston — Julien’s Restorator, which opened in 1794. But it didn’t take long for New York to catch up. In 1810, the city directory listed five free-standing “victualling houses.” By 1847, a tourist guide estimated that there were about 100 restaurants, plus the “Oyster Houses and Cellars, which are numerous in all quarters of the city.” A decade later, there were thousands. The making of the “city of restaurants” changed how we eat, where we eat, and — especially — how fast we eat. Maybe New Yorkers didn’t invent the restaurant, but we did perfect it… READ MORE
