Menus as Neighborhood Maps: How Los Angeles Restaurant Menus Tell Stories of Community Formation

The Culinary Historians of Southern California presents an illustrated lecture, “Menus as Neighborhood Maps: How Los Angeles Restaurant Menus Tell Stories of Community Formation,” with food and culture writer Tien Nguyen, on Saturday, March 14, 10:30 a.m. Lecture, followed by a themed reception, is free, public is welcome. At the Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., LA, Calif. 90071. Reservations are appreciated: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/menus-as-neighborhood-maps-tickets-1982397263580?

Restaurant menus are ephemera that can reveal fascinating stories and compelling histories. Drawing from the Los Angeles Public Library’s extensive Menu Collection, Tien Nguyen will explore how restaurant menus can offer insights into the formation of immigrant enclaves throughout Los Angeles.
“Menus as Neighborhood Maps: How Los Angeles Restaurant Menus Tell Stories of Community Formation” — Culinary Historians of Southern California

Tien Nguyen has been writing at the intersection of food and culture for over a decade. The former Senior Food Writer for “LA Weekly,” she's written for the “Los Angeles Times,” “Lucky Peach,” and “Eater,” among other publications, and her work has been honored by the Association of Food Journalists. She currently is an editor for “Synonym Magazine” and is the co-author of several books, including “The Choi of Cooking” and “L.A. Son” with Roy Choi; “My Cambodia” with Nite Yun; and the IACP-nominated “Sohn-Mat” with Monica Lee. She has taught food writing at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Tien lives in Los Angeles.

April 11th.  “Cooking and Dining in 19th Century California” — Culinary Historians of Southern California

Central Library parking: 524 South Flower Street Garage. Saturday $1 flat rate with validation (9:30 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.). Take your parking ticket with you. Parking validation available at the library's Information Desk (first floor) by presenting a valid library card. Credit card or debit card payments can be made at the exit gates. Cash payments can only be made in machines at the P-1 level of the parking garage before returning to your car.

About the event organizer, Culinary Historians of Southern California:

It’s our 30th anniversary! People with a passion for food beyond the knife and fork founded the Culinary Historians of Southern California in 1995 as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Public Library. Typical of library patrons, they sought an intellectual as well as gastronomic approach to food, but not at the expense of taking themselves so seriously that they would forget to have fun.

Today’s membership of 275+ men and women spans a range of ages, occupations and interests. It comprises not only food professionals ― from chefs, writers and academics to product purveyors and restaurateurs ― but also people in fields such as marketing, television, theatre, and museums. And then there are those simply intrigued by the mysteries of food and pleasures of the table.

Programs span across centuries and cultures. CHSC raises funds specifically for the downtown LA Central Library’s Culinary Collection. For more information or to join, visit chsocal.org.

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