MenuDesigninEuropeisamouthwateringfeastfortheeyes,featuringhundredsofEuropeanmenusfromtheearly19thcenturytotheendofthemillennium.Atonceahistoryofcontinentalcuisineandasprawlingsurveyofgraphicstyles,MenuDesigninEuropesatisfiesthecravingforfoodiesanddesignenthusiastsalike.ThedominanceofFrenchcuisineprovidedthetemplatefortheculinarydelightsthatspreadthroughout(andbeyond)thecontinent.Asrestaurantsanddiningexperiencesincreasedinthe19thcentury,theneedforamoreformalpresentationofavailableitemsresultedinarangeofprintedmenusthatcouldbebothextravagantandsimple.The1891menufromParis’sLeGrandVefour,withitsintricatedie-cutdesign,evokesabustlingBelleEpoquebistro,whilethe1932menufromLondon’sRoyalPalaceHoteltransportsyoutothebarataspirited,JazzAgenightspot.Ontheoppositesideofthedesignspectrum,themenuforthemid-centuryLasserrerestaurantexpressesasurrealisticsimplicity.Arangeofstylisticdecadesisrepresented,frommasterpiecesofArtNouveauandArtDecotothegraphicappropriationsoftheGermanDemocraticRepublic.AlsoshowcasedaretheMichelinawardedrestaurantsofthecelebritychef-eraandraritiessuchasaGermanmilitarymenufromWorldWarII.Morethanjustbillsoffare,thesemenusoftenrepresentamemorablediningexperience,attimesbeingpresentedwithasmuchcareandattentiontodetailasthemealitself.So,althoughonecannotsitinLaTourD’Argentin1952andsampleitsfamousduckdishLeCanetonTourd’Argent,wecansurelyimaginewhatitwaslikewhenlookingatthewaterfowl-themedillustrationdisplayingthenight’sofferings.FeaturinganessaybygraphicdesignhistorianStevenHellerandcaptionsbyephemeristandantiquarianbookdealerMarcSelvaggio,MenuDesignInEuropefeaturesmenusfromleadingcollectorsandinstitutions,providingasumptuousvisualbanquetandhistoricaldocumentoftwocenturiesofculinarytraditions.
