Wednesday, March 13 | 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. EST (Hybrid)

Rare Books and Special Collections, McLennan Library Building or Online

La version française suit.

Join us for an appetizing exploration of why menus matter and the stories they tell us today. We will come to menus belatedly, after the dishes have been washed up, so to speak. So in her exploration of ways in which menus matter, Professor Nathalie Cooke keeps at least two audiences in mind: diners of the menus’ moment and we who look at menus from distances spanning years, even continents and linguistic divides.

Cooke uses menus as peepholes tempting us to glimpse meals once enjoyed by royalty and rogues, those celebrating a special occasion or perhaps sampling a new culinary sensation (like the ‘ideal brain tonic’—that’s coca-cola to you!). These mindful meanderings will showcase some of the intriguing menus in McGill’s menu collection.

In-person guests will enjoy touring a sample of McGill’s menu collection in an on-site display. Attendance is free, optional donations as part of McGill24 go to support McGill Libraries’ ongoing activities and extraordinary collections.