Chicago began as a frontier town on the edge of white settlement and diverse indigenous populations. In this environment, cultures mixed, and many of the storefront ethnic restaurants catered specifically to passengers transferring from train to train between one of the five major downtown railroad stations. Becoming the second largest city in the US in 1890, Chicago itself and its immediate surrounding area was also the site of agriculture, both...

While some cities owe their existence to lumber or oil, turpentine or steel, Kansas City owes its existence to food. From its earliest days, Kansas City was in the business of provisioning pioneers and traders headed west, and later with provisioning the nation with meat and wheat. Throughout its history, thousands of Kansas Citians have also made their living providing meals and hospitality to travelers passing through on their way elsewhere, be...

Taipei is a gourmet's destination where people buy fresh produce almost every morning of the year; where weddings are celebrated with streetside banquets; and where baristas craft cups of world-class coffee. Crook and Hung invite readers to learn more about the city's fascinating foodways and the diverse culture behind them.