The Dairy Restaurant

Celebrated cartoonist Katchor (The Jew of New York) offers a visual and textual treat about the history of the dairy restaurant, beginning with the story of the Garden of Eden. The author proceeds to explain the establishment of Kosher dietary laws and briefly mentions arguments posited by biblical scholars about the separation of meat, dairy, and neutral foods. Readers learn about the origins of restaurants, specifically, vegetarian ones, and the European wellsprings of dairy establishments. When Jewish immigrants arrived in the United States in the 19th century, the dairy restaurant became as much a staple as their more famous counterpart, the delicatessen. The volume concentrates primarily on New York dairy restaurants, from the 19th to the late 20th centuries. Included are restaurant names, addresses, advertisements, and menus reflective of a largely bygone world.