ABSTRACT

The perception and practice of eating out are linked to larger socioeconomic patterns. Newspaper restaurant reviews provide evidence of these trends which can be traced along a specific timeline. The early 1980s in Ireland were a difficult time for restaurants due to high taxes on food, a national recession and a lack of positive restaurant reviews. The economic upturn in the following decade contributed to unprecedented developments in the restaurant industry. Dining out became a regular activity – fuelled in part by restaurant criticism by Irish food journalists, which joined pre-existing theatre, music and book reviews as regular features in national newspapers. The restaurant scene was burgeoning as Irish society experienced a new self-confidence bolstered by the growing economy. Data from restaurant reviews published from 1988–2008 in three national newspapers reveals the Dublin-centric middle-class nature of dining reflected in critics’ reviews, alongside changes in Irish society.

摘要

外出就餐的观念和做法与更大的社会经济模式有关。报纸餐厅评论提供了这些趋势的证据，可以沿着特定的时间线进行追踪。1980 年代初期，爱尔兰对餐馆来说是一段艰难的时期，因为食品税高、全国经济衰退以及缺乏积极的餐馆评论。随后十年的经济好转促成了餐饮业的空前发展。外出就餐成为一项常规活动——部分原因是爱尔兰美食记者对餐厅的批评，这些记者加入了先前存在的戏剧、音乐和书评，成为全国性报纸的常规报道。随着爱尔兰社会在经济增长的支持下经历了新的自信，餐厅场景正在蓬勃发展。