"Immerse yourself in a fascinating culinary journey through American dining from the mid-1970s through today. In a remarkable career that has spanned nearly 50 years, Wini Moranville has witnessed the American restaurant landscape transform from the inside out. At just shy of 14, she began a 10-year stretch working in a kaleidoscope of quintessential Midwestern eateries of the time. From the familiarity and warmth of a family-owned cafeteria, to the...

A history of the evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and 1980s, from the pioneers behind Chez Panisse, Spago, and other landmarks to the young cooks like Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, and Bobby Flay who went on to become household names. Told through the perspectives not only of the pioneering chefs but also of line cooks, front-of-house personnel, investors, and critics who had front-row seats to this extraordinary transformation....