Hard decisions shouldn’t be made on an empty stomach. Maybe this is why the nation’s capital has become home to so many restaurants, several of which inevitably hold a place in history. John DeFerrari shares an account of these dining hotspots, past and present, in Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C.: Capital Eats (History Press, $25). He will lecture on the book today from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Dumbarton House in Georgetown.

In the second half of the 18th century, restaurants in D.C. were a foreign concept — taverns, on the other hand, were crucial and plentiful, as “the average person drank three times as much alcohol as we do today.” DeFerrari explores the minimal food that was served at these “drinking houses” and eaten by the likes of George Washington, and how local dining culture gradually grew to serve patrons in tearooms, inns, and modern-style restaurants.

D.C.’s tradition of fine dining can be at least partially attributed to the White House chefs that opened some of the first restaurants downtown in the late 1880s. It was also around then that African Americans came to the District to work as cooks, one of the only jobs available to them at the time. Politicians’ wives took advantage of social opportunities at restaurants. Chaperoned, of course.

These are some of the tidbits DeFerrari discusses in Historic Restaurants, along with stories of the ever-evolving restaurant business in D.C., specific sites of major negotiations, and bios of and recipes from some of D.C.’s most prominent chefs leading up to today. The thoroughly-researched book also includes a visual array of photos, postcards, and old newspaper clips.

DeFerrari is a native Washingtonian and works for the federal government. His first book was Lost Washington, D.C. and he writes the history blog Streets of Washington.

The talk and signing is free to the public and registration can be completed here. Books will be available for purchase on-site.