Conventional wisdom has it that many restaurants never make it to their first birthday, never mind their 100th.
So it’s a little shocking just how many have done not only that, but have thrived well beyond 100 years. Fascination with what sets these culinary centenarians apart is what prompted Rick Browne to dig into American restaurant history, collecting the stories of some of the nation’s oldest eateries.
“These places are American culinary history,” says Browne, who made it a mission to identify restaurants – including taverns, grills, barbecue joints – that are at least 100 years old.
And his recent book, “A Century of Restaurants: Stories and Recipes from 100 of America’s Most Historic and Successful Restaurants,” includes the nation’s oldest (White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, established in 1673), the youngest (the Pleasant Point Inn in Lovell, Maine, opened in 1911), and many in between.
“These old restaurants are serving really good meals, made from scratch, plus they’re preserving our culture,” he says. “And we can’t lose that.”