Author Bill Buford spoke with Boston Public Radio on Monday about his new book Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking.
Going out to eat at a restaurant holds more significance in France, than in the United States, Buford said. He spoke about why he thinks Americans will hold restaurants in more respect after the pandemic.
"I do have hope that there might be an attitude towards restaurants that I came to see in Lyon," he said. "The French are famously skinny, but famously piggy when they go to restaurants and that's because they're not piggy at home, but when they go to a restaurant it's a big deal for everyone."
The French attitude of indulgence at restaurants may carry over into American culture, once the pandemic over, Buford noted.
"Behind that is a great kind of honor bestowed on the idea of a restaurant," he said. "I'd like to believe that as we get back, that we're going to have a new respect for food."
