Why Restaurants Matter: An Owner's Plea for the Place-Building, Democracy-Stabilizing, Love-Kindling Power of Eating Together in Real Life

Why Restaurants Matter is a heartfelt plea-told by the unlikeliest of restaurateurs-for the warmth of the hearth, the unifying spirit of hospitality, and the power of public eateries to build community. You’re hungry. And, if not, you will be soon. Does it matter if you get your spring rolls from a ghost kitchen instead of the joint on the corner?Erin Wade thinks it does. Wade opened her first restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2008, when phone books were still a thing, and “farm-to-table” was not a cliché.A former fashionista turned farmer, with virtually no restaurant experience, she made no sense in the breakneck business of food. But when her restaurant Vinaigrette grew busier than she ever expected-it "got slammed,” in industry-speak-Wade got schooled.Why Restaurants Matter follows her white-knuckle ride opening six restaurants in three cities over a decade. And, it’s the story of her education along the way in food and health, gleaned from serving hundreds of thousands of cus