5k Restaurant Menus, Years 1880-1920

A gorgeous new interactive from The Pudding digs through 5,000 restaurant menus from 1880 to 1920, pulled from the New York Public Library’s famous Buttolph Collection. On paper, it’s a history project. In the comments, though, it instantly turned into a full-blown "wait... this looks exactly like brunch now?" moment. One of the loudest reactions was pure shock that these century-old menus feel weirdly modern, with readers pointing out that many wouldn’t look out of place in a trendy restaurant today. Apparently, the past had branding.

Then came the mini-meltdown over prices. One commenter admitted they nearly fainted at what looked like a $250 ham sandwich before realizing the menus were listed in cents, not dollars. That sparked the most relatable energy in the thread: historical curiosity mixed with financial panic. Others wanted more gossip from the archive itself, especially which restaurants and buildings still exist, because some menus actually show the locations. In other words: people didn’t just want food history, they wanted a full where-are-they-now special.

And yes, the food snobbery arrived right on cue. One fan declared old-school ice cream flavors had more "meaning," while taking a swipe at modern chaos like green chili ice cream, which honestly sounds like a dare. The only real drama? A classic internet killjoy popped in with a "dupe" complaint, basically saying the topic had been posted before. Even in a charming nostalgia thread, somebody has to be the hall monitor.