There’s a lot to love about going out to eat at a restaurant. Many of our favorite memories involve a special meal—from birthdays to anniversaries and everything in between. Whether it’s an intimate evening or a family celebration, fine dining in WI is a tradition that seems like it’s been part of life forever. But what’s the origin story of fine dining?
Fine dining’s beginnings
The idea of fine dining is not that old. In fact, it was only a couple hundred years ago that most people even considered paying for someone else to cook and serve a meal for them.
The history of fine dining begins in France when, at the end of the 18th century, the French Revolution led to many displaced chefs looking for work after losing their positions in aristocratic households. These chefs focused on cooking private dinners for those who could afford it with à la carte menus.
Pretty soon, chefs were opening their own establishments and adding touches of upper class style, including private tables (as opposed to communal tables) and the ability to place a reservation for later. Fine China, beautiful cutlery and (gasp!) tablecloths became staples of fine dining as well.
By 1814, the number of restaurants had grown in Paris alone from fewer than 50 before the revolution to more than 3,000. The idea of fine dining spread throughout Europe as travel became more popular with modern technological advancements. By the 20th century, the concept of fine dining was firmly established as something similar to what we know it as today.
Evolution of fine dining
As mentioned, the popularization and possibilities of travel greatly advanced the concept of fine dining. It grew out of Paris, France to become a global phenomenon. In the late 19th century, the idea of combining a hotel and a fine dining restaurant took shape thanks to a Swiss developer named César Ritz and French chef Auguste Escoffier. The Grand Hotel of Monte Carlo became the first establishment offering luxury accommodations as well as fine dining under one roof.
The idea soon spread around the world, including to the United States. While it used to be a bit of a novelty, today it is difficult to find a luxury hotel that doesn’t have a fine dining restaurant as part of its business model.
The Hotel Seymour Supperclub was founded in Wisconsin in 1898 as the Hotel Falck. It was a redbrick building two stories high with a full basement that contained a barbershop and public showers for travelers arriving from the Green Bay & Western Railroad. In 1951, the name was officially changed to Hotel Seymour Supperclub, and today it offers fine dining, wine and more.
With an extensive menu of elevated classic dishes and steakhouse favorites, Hotel Seymour Supperclub is one of the best spots for fine dining in Seymour, WI. When you’re looking for fine dining in WI with familiar dishes you know and love, pay a visit to Hotel Seymour Supperclub for a one-of-a-kind experience.