Dining Out - by James A Thompson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Exploring Toronto's history through its vibrant restaurant scene.

From taverns to tea rooms, soda fountains to sushi bars, and everything in between, Toronto's dining trends in days of yore say a lot about the history of the city.

Beginning from the early days in the Town of York, where eateries also had to serve as houses of worship, to today's trendy restaurants opened by newcomers and inspired by outside influences, Dining Out: Toronto's Lost Restaurants vividly describes many of the long-forgotten restaurants that had a profound impact on the city and the people who called it home.

Thompson shows that while the locales where Torontonians eat out may have changed through the years, the quest for good food and good company continues to define the city.

Review Quotes

As I read this book, I realized I'd been waiting for it for a very long time. Thompson is more than a gastronomy historian: with this book he opens a rare shaft of light on a critical dimension of Toronto's cultural history and brings to life how past generations found pleasure in each other's company and in the discovery of new plates and new decors. It's a succulent accomplishment, soup to nuts.

-- "Patrice Dutil, author, historian, and professor"

I cannot resist food metaphors after reading Dining Out. It is delicious with a veritable smorgasbord of items for various tastes. Historical; informative; nostalgic. It may bring back memories of that first date at The Coffee Mill; an anniversary at Three Small Rooms. There are also thoughtful comments on an important aspect of Toronto's history. With a piquant sauce of original recipes, you have a winner. Highly recommended.

-- "Maureen Jennings, creator of Murdoch Mysteries"

In Dining Out, James A. Thompson has written a love letter to Toronto, his family's home for nearly 200 years. This delectable book tells the story of the city's restaurants and the generations of immigrants -- from every corner of the world -- who have made Toronto a thriving culinary metropolis.

-- "Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Toronto Star"

James A. Thompson takes readers on a fascinating journey through Toronto's culinary past, bringing to life the lost restaurants, colourful stories and unforgettable characters that shaped the city's dining scene. Through engaging interviews, anecdotes and vintage recipes, he traces Toronto's evolution through to the 1980s and '90s to the multicultural mecca of dining it is today.

-- "Sara Waxman, Editor-in-Chief of Dine Magazine"

About the Author

James A. Thompson is a writer and history instructor, who teaches at various universities in Toronto in continuing studies courses. In 2000, he republished a book written by his late father, Austin Seton Thompson, Spadina: A Story of Old Toronto. He lives in Toronto.