On Menus

Abstract

The closing chapter pulls together the many strands of foodways that continue to define the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a distinct and distinctive terroir. The chapter begins with an African American church menu and turns to a group of award-winning contemporary chefs for their reactions to the listed fare. Every menu is much more than the itemized listing it provides. Menus are invitations to invention through pairings and juxtapositions. They are a literature where individual items speak to the expertise of the cook and the expectations of the diner. Menus are the most optimistic of all literary forms. They are about art and gratification.