After Yellowstone in 1872, other parks began to pop up around the country— Yosemite, Sequoia, and Mount Rainier all before 1900, as well as later-demoted Mackinac and Rock Creek, each with their own needs for concessions—alongside anxious chatter about the specter of “bad development.” Coney Island and Niagara Falls loomed large in the elite imagination…
Category: Foods and Recipe
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Gambas al Ajillo – Garlic Shrimp – Memorable Recipes
When I was growing up in the Philippines, if gambas al ajillo was on the menu when my family went out to dinner, I would have to order it. I always thought that gambas was a Filipino dish—which it is—but later realized it was based on a recipe from Spain (Filipino food is heavily influenced…
Indigenous Hunger – Eating in US National Parks
Throughout the nineteenth century, American Indians were moved to reservations or restricted to a small portion of the land they could previously access, where set-tlers made efforts to “civilize” them via agriculture. The government, motivated by a belief that Indigenous peoples who became farmers would be able to better assimilate into white society, crafted policies…
Higher-End Eating: Other Yellowstone Options – Eating in US National Parks
The way Xanterra narrativizes on its website and menus for its higher-end park concessions is not unique to the M66 Grill, but slight variations on their key themes can be found. The Grant Village Dining Room, overlooking the scenic West Thumb geyser basin and Yellowstone Lake, plays equally hard to get with its reservation policy….
Cavatappi Pollo – Memorable Recipes
For my first date with my now-wife Tina, I took her to my favorite little pasta place in Lincoln Park in Chicago. This restaurant had been my go-to for years and I had a favorite dish on the menu that I always ordered. Of course when it was time to order, Tina chose my favorite…
Where Delicious Meals Can Be Enjoyed – Eating in US National Parks
In contrast to basic eateries like the Canyon Lodge Eatery, mid-range dining experiences in Yellowstone tend to provide more of the concrete information sought by cosmopolitan travelers. Xanterra narratives the dining experience at these restaurants in ways that align with the audience of conscious enrichment-seekers they imagine. Also situated at Canyon Village, the Canyon Lodge…
Japchae with Bean Sprout Salad – Memorable Recipes
My friend Shannon started a local food group that altered the trajectory of my life. From this group I’ve grown a foodie “framily” of cherished friends. Shannon hosted a giant annual garlic contest. An original painting by her husband, renowned local artist Rich Bowman, was the coveted prize for winning. With nearly one hundred folks…
Customize Your Meal with Fresh Ingredients – Eating in US National Parks
The basic Xanterra dining experience is represented by Canyon Lodge Eatery, a casual cafeteria in a visually appealing midcentury modern building with a Googie/Populuxe/Doo Wop design vibe—all soaring ceilings, space age starburst light fixtures painted blue, green, and tangerine, and tables, chairs, and umbrellas in a rainbow of futuristic hues. It is situated in Canyon…
Indigeneity and Eating in US National Parks – Eating in US National Parks
US national parks are known for spectacular vistas, and for wholesome recreation opportunities targeting contemporary middle-class (white) tourists, who are today encouraged to “find your park.” As argued in Chapter 2, cosmopolitanism serves as a lens that helps us to understand, contextualize, and evaluate many elements of the experience of eating in the US national…
Transporting Taste – Eating in US National Parks
Before the twentieth century, it was the upper classes who could afford to travel to the few existing national parks. To reach Yosemite Valley in the 1860s, “it was necessary to take a boat from San Francisco to Stockton, followed by a sixteen-hour stagecoach ride to Coulterville, and finally a fifty-seven-mile, thirty-seven-hour trek by horse…