New Books Network Brian Duff, "Restaurant" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Sep 6, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Brian Duff, a political theorist and author of 'Restaurant', dives into the cultural significance of dining. He explores how restaurants have become spaces for transformation, evoking childhood memories and fostering deep conversations. Duff also tackles the intersection of food and art, reflecting on societal changes in cultural appreciation. He delves into the ethical challenges of hospitality, emphasizing the balance of indulgence and virtue. This conversation reveals the power of shared meals to create meaningful connections.
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From Cook To Critic To Scholar
- Brian Duff worked in restaurants for seven or eight years before becoming a critic and academic.
- He combined restaurant criticism with political theory after COVID closed his newspaper and turned the idea into a book project.
Restaurant As An Emotional Object
- Duff frames the restaurant as an 'object' we experience instead of a machine to dissect.
- He uses object-relations theory to argue restaurants tap early dependence and care that shape lifelong feelings.
Why Restaurant Fandom Breeds Cynicism
- Restaurants can feel shallowly overvalued amid major world problems, which breeds cultural cynicism.
- High expectations make successes magical but failures cut deeply, fueling ambivalence toward dining culture.
