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Ten Restaurants That Changed How America Eats

Dora Mekouar

   Delmonico's, America's very first restaurant, is also one of its most
   influential, according to Yale University history professor Paul
   Freedman.

   "It defined what elegant food was in the 19th century United States,
   and that has influenced, to some extent, the food that is eaten today,"
   Freedman says.

   Founded in 1830, Delmonico's invented lobster Newberg and baked Alaska,
   and continues to serve those and other dishes at its New York City
   location.

   "America's first real successful restaurant '¦ Delmonico's is kind of a
   no-brainer because it's the first restaurant, but it's also very
   enduring," Freedman says. "It's created in the 1830s, but in 1890, it's
   still considered the best restaurant in the U.S. A lot of restaurants
   elsewhere called themselves, like, the Delmonico's of Indianapolis, and
   it becomes a shorthand term for fancy."

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