The life and death of the American Foodie
When food culture became pop culture, a new national persona was born
The Burger King
Hospitality legend Danny Meyer reflects on two decades of Shake Shack
One of the most influential restaurants of the past 20 years got its start as a hot dog cart. In 2001, New York restaurateur Danny Meyer (the nascent empire builder then best known for Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern) took on the project of helping to revitalize Madison Square Park with a pop-up food cart slinging Chicago-style hot dogs. Three years later, Shake Shack, now in a permanent Madison Square Park location, was born. The line — and the legend that came with it — immediately followed. “When we saw the line, we looked at one another and basically said, ‘Oh shit. Is this real?’” Meyer recalls now.
“When did you become such an adventurous eater?” my mom often asks me, after I’ve squealed about some meal involving jamón ibérico or numbing spices. The answer is, I don’t know, but I can think of moments throughout my life where food erupted as more than a mere meal: My cousin and his Ivy League rowing team hand-making pumpkin ravioli for me at Thanksgiving. Going to the pre-Amazon Whole Foods and giddily deciding to buy bison bacon for breakfast sandwiches assembled in a dorm kitchen. Eating paneer for the first time in India. Slurping a raw oyster in New Orleans.
Read more
Read more