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Among all the books about shifts in American taste during the past few decades, this stands out as the most meticulously detailed, insightful, and well researched, including interviews and even first hand experience. Pearlman captures perfectly the shift in gastronomic sensibilities, the demise of stuffy white-tableclothed shrines, and the rise of good, honest food served without pretension. This study is erudite and hip, written with both verve and a keen analytical eye. --Ken Albala, author of Pancake: A Global History Alison Pearlman knows not only what we want to eat, but where we want to eat it, and how we want it served. She shows us how we changed the food-service industry (and how it changed our expectations of it). The amazing thing is she does this in a book that informs, intrigues, and often amuses us. Who knew a book about business could be so delightfully tasty? --Gary Allen, author of The Herbalist in the Kitchen Alison Pearlman's Smart Casual is a delicious romp through America's rapidly changing and diverging restaurant scene. It begins with the old haute cuisine establishments frequented by the upscale, well-to-do diners, but concentrates on contemporary restaurants with their experimental, innovative, and exotic cuisines. It is an informative, witty, and delightful book brimming with hot anecdotes and tangy tidbits. It is a must read for all serious foodies. --Andrew F. Smith, Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink If you have ever seen an open kitchen or enjoyed a tasting menu on a bar stool and wondered why, Smart Casual is certainly the book to read! --Wylie Dufresne, chef of wd 50 Smart Casual is concise and well researched. . . . It should serve as a useful addition to food studies, cultural studies, sociology, and design history collections. Recommended. --Choice Alison Pearlman visits dozens of today's restaurants and reports on how they meet contemporary expectations with fresh interior design, innovative cooking, and daring business plans. Culinary students and budding restaurateurs will definitely profit from Pearlman's research. --Booklist Drawing from personal dining experiences, interviews with chefs and an eye for detail sharpened by years as an art historian, Alison Pearlman explores how gourmet restaurant style in America has shifted away from the ma tre d's stand and toward a 'come as you are' mentality over the past several decades. Open-kitchen concepts, relaxed dress codes and haute upgrades to everyday favorites (remember the gourmet hamburger trend?) all come under Pearlman's insightful study in this quick read, making it a perfect accompaniment for solo trips to Startle.com Tastemaker Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery or fellow Tastemaker David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar--New York eateries that represent the scope of Pearlman's commentary to a casual, tasty T. --Forbes Travel Guide

Alison Pearlman knows not only what we want to eat, but where we want to eat it, and how we want it served. She shows us how we changed the food-service industry (and how it changed our expectations of it). The amazing thing is she does this in a book that informs, intrigues, and often amuses us. Who knew a book about business could be so delightfully tasty? --Gary Allen, author of The Herbalist in the Kitchen Alison Pearlman's Smart Casual is a delicious romp through America's rapidly changing and diverging restaurant scene. It begins with the old haute cuisine establishments frequented by the upscale, well-to-do diners, but concentrates on contemporary restaurants with their experimental, innovative, and exotic cuisines. It is an informative, witty, and delightful book brimming with hot anecdotes and tangy tidbits. It is a must read for all serious foodies. --Andrew F. Smith, Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink Among all the books about shifts in American taste during the past few decades, this stands out as the most meticulously detailed, insightful, and well researched, including interviews and even first hand experience. Pearlman captures perfectly the shift in gastronomic sensibilities, the demise of stuffy white-tableclothed shrines, and the rise of good, honest food served without pretension. This study is erudite and hip, written with both verve and a keen analytical eye. --Ken Albala, author of Pancake: A Global History Alison Pearlman knows not only what we want to eat, but where we want to eat it, and how we want it served. She shows us how we changed the food-service industry (and how it changed our expectations of it). The amazing thing is she does this in a book that informs, intrigues, and often amuses us. Who knew a book about business could be so delightfully tasty? --Gary Allen, author of The Herbalist in the Kitchen Alison Pearlman s Smart Casual is a delicious romp through America s rapidly changing and diverging restaurant scene. It begins with the old haute cuisine establishments frequented by the upscale, well-to-do diners, but concentrates on contemporary restaurants with their experimental, innovative, and exotic cuisines. It is an informative, witty, and delightful book brimming with hot anecdotes and tangy tidbits. It is a must read for all serious foodies. --Andrew F. Smith, Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink Among all the books about shifts in American taste during the past few decades, this stands out as the most meticulously detailed, insightful, and well researched, including interviews and even first hand experience. Pearlman captures perfectly the shift in gastronomic sensibilities, the demise of stuffy white-tableclothed shrines, and the rise of good, honest food served without pretension. This study is erudite and hip, written with both verve and a keen analytical eye. --Ken Albala, author of Pancake: A Global History If you have ever seen an open kitchen or enjoyed a tasting menu on a bar stool and wondered why, Smart Casual is certainly the book to read! --Wylie Dufresne, chef of wd 50 If you have ever seen an open kitchen or enjoyed a tasting menu on a bar stool and wondered why, Smart Casual is certainly the book to read! --Wylie Dufresne, chef of wd 50

""Alison Pearlman knows not only what we want to eat, but where we want to eat it, and how we want it served. She shows us how we changed the food-service industry (and how it changed our expectations of it). The amazing thing is she does this in a book that informs, intrigues, and often amuses us. Who knew a book about business could be so delightfully tasty?""--Gary Allen, author of The Herbalist in the Kitchen ""Among all the books about shifts in American taste during the past few decades, this stands out as the most meticulously detailed, insightful, and well researched, including interviews and even first hand experience. Pearlman captures perfectly the shift in gastronomic sensibilities, the demise of stuffy white-tableclothed shrines, and the rise of good, honest food served without pretension. This study is erudite and hip, written with both verve and a keen analytical eye.""--Ken Albala, author of Pancake: A Global History ""Drawing from personal dining experiences, interviews with chefs and an eye for detail sharpened by years as an art historian, Alison Pearlman explores how gourmet restaurant style in America has shifted away from the maître d's stand and toward a 'come as you are' mentality over the past several decades. Open-kitchen concepts, relaxed dress codes and haute upgrades to everyday favorites (remember the gourmet hamburger trend?) all come under Pearlman's insightful study in this quick read, making it a perfect accompaniment for solo trips to Startle.com Tastemaker Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery or fellow Tastemaker David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar--New York eateries that represent the scope of Pearlman's commentary to a casual, tasty T."" -- ""Forbes Travel Guide"" ""Smart Casual is concise and well researched. . . . It should serve as a useful addition to food studies, cultural studies, sociology, and design history collections. Recommended.""-- ""Choice"" ""Alison Pearlman visits dozens of today's restaurants and reports on how they meet contemporary expectations with fresh interior design, innovative cooking, and daring business plans. Culinary students and budding restaurateurs will definitely profit from Pearlman's research."" -- ""Booklist"" ""Alison Pearlman's Smart Casual is a delicious romp through America's rapidly changing and diverging restaurant scene. It begins with the old haute cuisine establishments frequented by the upscale, well-to-do diners, but concentrates on contemporary restaurants with their experimental, innovative, and exotic cuisines. It is an informative, witty, and delightful book brimming with hot anecdotes and tangy tidbits. It is a must read for all serious foodies.""--Andrew F. Smith, Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink ""If you have ever seen an open kitchen or enjoyed a tasting menu on a bar stool and wondered why, Smart Casual is certainly the book to read!"" --Wylie Dufresne, chef of wd 50

Among all the books about shifts in American taste during the past few decades, this stands out as the most meticulously detailed, insightful, and well researched, including interviews and even first hand experience. Pearlman captures perfectly the shift in gastronomic sensibilities, the demise of stuffy white-tableclothed shrines, and the rise of good, honest food served without pretension. This study is erudite and hip, written with both verve and a keen analytical eye. --Ken Albala, author of Pancake: A Global History

Author Information

Alison Pearlman is a Los Angeles-based art historian and cultural critic who blogs under the name the Eye in Dining. She teaches modern and contemporary art and design history at Cal Poly Pomona and is the author of Unpackaging Art of the 1980s, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

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