Category Archives: Books

Scaling the Great Wall

Posted on 2012/05/17 by .

Great Wall Supermarket, web site, 2982 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-208-3320 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Patch | Yahoo Local | Yelp] Here is my essay from Washingtonian magazine, adapted from An Economist Gets Lunch, about … Continue reading →

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The Independent on “An Economist Gets Lunch”

Posted on 2012/05/11 by .

The review is here, by Will Dean, the summary is here: If you’re interested in how the food and restaurant industries work – and how to exploit those factors for your own good – then Cowen’s work is indispensable. And: … Continue reading →

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Is Africa the next big food trend?

Posted on 2012/04/28 by .

Josh Schonwald says yes: One night, after reading about sugar-cane drinks and fresh lobster skewers, I started cooking. I made a spicy okra salad, grilled shrimp piri piri and steamed vanilla pudding. The next night, Zanzibari pizzas–chapati stuffed with eggs, … Continue reading →

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“The Washington Post” covers “An Economist Gets Lunch”

Posted on 2012/04/27 by .

Cowen fears the effects of gentrification, which tends to drive up real estate rates and drive out ethnic restaurants. It can also lead to blander food. But if defense funding is cut, and the impact is felt locally, that would … Continue reading →

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“Don’t hate the haute”

Posted on 2012/04/24 by .

Don’t go into a restaurant with many beautiful women in it, says economist Tyler Cowen. Those places attract a lot of men, and although they may be popular for a few months the quality inevitably will soon diminish. Don’t go … Continue reading →

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Podcast with Russ Roberts

Posted on 2012/04/24 by .

About An Economist Gets Lunch, you will find it here. Tyler Cowen of George Mason U. and author of An Economist Gets Lunch, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about food, the economics of food, and his new book. In … Continue reading →

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Two more reviews of An Economist Gets Lunch

Posted on 2012/04/22 by .

The Guardian on An Economist Gets Lunch, by Oliver Burkeman, “This column will change your life,” and a lengthy review from Kyle Smith at The New York Post; “Cowen’s special sauce is rationality, which is why this may be the … Continue reading →

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Veronique de Rugy on “An Economist Gets Lunch”

Posted on 2012/04/21 by .

On the (superior) French parental approach to children and food: Growing up, my parents would mostly ignore my wishes when it came to food — or anything else for that matter. I wasn’t forced to eat blue cheese at every … Continue reading →

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The Boston Globe on Cowen on food

Posted on 2012/04/20 by .

Cowen’s book offers more than ethnic-dining tips, however; it situates them in a broad historical context. Many of today’s mainstream foodies, Cowen argues, have the history of American food all backwards. They assume that American food is so terrible and … Continue reading →

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The Matt Yglesias take on restaurant decline

Posted on 2012/04/17 by .

Matt writes: Imagine some diners are, by temperament, venturesome while others are regulars. Over the long term, the best business strategy is to appeal to regulars since they offer a stable client base. But when a restaurant is new, it … Continue reading →

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