Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction Dinner in the Current Age: A Translation from Paris à table
Chapter I Introduction: The Parisian Dinner
Chapter II The History of Dinner up to Our Time
Chapter III Dinner in the Current Age
Chapter IV Varieties of Dinner
Chapter V People Who Do Not Dine
Chapter VI Breakfast
Chapter VII Luncheon
Chapter VIII Supper
Chapter IX Clubs, Cercles, Tables d'Hôte, Pensions Bourgeoises, Rest Homes
Chapter X The Restaurants of Paris
Chapter XI Eccentricities

About the Author

Eugène Briffault (1799-1854) was an editor, journalist, theater critic, and man of letters. As a chronicler of contemporary Paris, he contributed to many anthologies and periodicals of his day and was an acquaintance of many of the important literary figures of the time.

J. Weintraub is a writer, dramatist, poet, and translator based in Chicago. He holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Chicago.

David Downie is the author of fourteen books, most recently A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light and A Taste of Paris: A History of the Parisian Love Affair with Food. His website is www.davidddownie.com.

Reviews

"In its vivid evocation of daily life, Paris à Table is pure delight, equal parts wit and social commentary. J. Weintraub eloquently situates Briffault's work within the canon of French gastronomy, and his footnotes alone offer a lesson in culinary history. By the end of this charming book we must concur with Briffault: 'When Paris sits down at the table, the entire world stirs.'" -- Darra Goldstein, Founding Editor of Gastronomica: The
Journal of Food and Culture
"Less well known today than his contemporaries Balzac and Hugo, Eugène Briffault was in many ways their equal. The introduction to this sparkling translation situates him in the literary and journalistic hothouse of 1830s-1840s Paris, while useful annotations throughout help today's readers make sense of the Rabelaisian panorama-statistical, gastronomical, anecdotal, and moral-that unfolds before them." -- Rebecca L. Spang, author of The Invention of
the Restaurant
"Paris à Table invites us to dine in nineteenth-century Paris. Drawing on keen observations and lively anecdotes the veteran journalist and bon vivant Eugène Briffault surveys the world of Parisian dining, and sumptuously so, from top to bottom, from the past to the present. J. Weintraub's translation of this classic of French gastronomy will captivate alike cultural historians and foodies of every persuasion." -- Priscilla Ferguson,
author of Accounting for Taste: The Triumph of French Cuisine
"In this new translation, Weintraub details Briffault's insightful portrayal of Parisians and their food. Weintraub's indispensable footnotes identify all the names that Briffault drops along the way as he describes not only what Parisians of varying social classes ate but also the circumstances and artifices that made dinner appealing. This is a must-read for social- and cultural-history buffs, especially those with a keen interest in food and eating habits."
--Booklist
"A fascinating book for readers interested in cultural, social, and food history."--Library Journal
"An eye-opening chronicle of French dining."--New York Times
"Paris à Table has abundant charm: its history of dining, its anecdotes of famous personalities from the perspective of their eating habits, the delightful original illustrations by Bertall, and certainly J. Weintraub's scholarly and amusing footnotes."--New Criterion
"This captivating edition, translated and edited by J. Weintraub, is decorated with witty black-and-white drawings from the period by the caricaturist Bertall and has copious, informative footnotes... A terrific storyteller who loved culinary anecdotes, [Briffault] had a keen eye and an irreverent, often acerbic, sense of humor."--Wall Street Journal