Paris Meets Brooklyn: The Global Reach of Contemporary American Dining
Since the reign of the Sun King Louis XIV almost two hundred years ago, French food is considered a sign of French culture, inspiring tourists, food lovers, and dedicated foodies to travel to France to seek authentic foods and dining experiences. In today’s global society, where diners can enjoy recognizably French cuisine outside of France, food critics and tastemakers have recently acknowledged that nouvelle cuisine—integrating new ingredients and cooking techniques—has changed both French and international dining. I was among a group of food historians invited to contribute essays on how dining practices honed in Brooklyn, NY, became a worldwide phenomenon, for Fabio Parasecoli and Maeusz Halawa’s new book Global Brooklyn: Designing Food Experiences in World Cities (2021).