Those of us who follow Becky Diamond on her informative and well designed social media pages (Instagram, Facebook-add links), already know that she has been up to something exciting again. Our colleague and Books We Read blogger, Becky is a business librarian at Rutgers as well as an accomplished author, who published several books related to history and food history, including Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s First Cooking School, The Thousand Dollar Dinner, The Gilded Age Cookbook and The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook .
It’s a great honor to interview her on the occasion of publishing a new book entitled City Tavern: The Founding Table. With her national reputation, she will likely have many more events, interviews and broadcast appearances. As we are both passionate about researching and writing about history, today I will ask her as a fellow Books We Read blogger from the perspective of the addiction librarian.
BWR: First, give us the short version of what we should know about your new book besides the excellent AI-generated summary.
BLD: City Tavern was a hub of life in colonial Philadelphia and its dining table an important political and social meeting place. From America’s early years, taverns were vital in urban spaces for sharing news, making business deals, holding club meetings, and discussing political issues. When the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, City Tavern was designated as a neutral spot for delegates to make connections, solicit opinions, and offer off-the-record thoughts and solutions―all over a pint of ale or glass of Madeira. This important role continued throughout the Revolution and beyond. Many of the founding fathers dined there, and George Washington even used it briefly as his headquarters. The tavern also became a social center for music, dancing, and festive dinners.
City Tavern: The Founding Table views this crucial time in America’s history through the tavern’s lens. Here the reader can follow history as it unfolds from the unique perspective of the dining table, from the decision to break from England and the prosecution of the war to Constitutional debate and the grand banquet Washington enjoyed at City Tavern in 1789 as he passed through Philadelphia on the way to his presidential inauguration in New York City. Throughout, the business of an eighteenth-century tavern is described in detail along with the food and drink enjoyed by customers at the crossroads of the American Revolution.
BWR: The reader can see the obvious similarities, such as geographical region and food history, with your previous books just from the short blurbs already available on the publisher’s site. Can you tell us a bit more about how this new book fits into your writings and research?
BLD: Sure! This book is a non-fiction narrative focusing on culinary and geographic history, similar to my first two books. Like those two books, it also takes place in Philadelphia, so it was really fun to go back to this very historical and important city. One difference was that it takes place mostly in the eighteenth century, whereas my other books have a nineteenth-century focus. This meant delving into this era and looking through the lens of this specific location to see its impact throughout the pre-Revolution, the Revolution and the founding of our nation. The City Tavern was integral to all of that. So, the research and writing for this book really expanded my knowledge of culinary history, as well as American and Philadelphia history.
BWR: In our previous conversations with you, we were talking about how your work as a librarian at a large university supported your research and writing. Given the different topic, what was different about this book? Did you have any specific hurdles, or did you have to change course during the writing process?
BLD: I was able to gather the bulk of the research at the Independence National Historic Park Library and Archives in Philadelphia. The original City Tavern was torn down in 1854, but in the 1950s, the National Park Service decided to reconstruct the building. Using period images, personal accounts, newspaper articles, insurance surveys, and other documents, they were able to authentically reconstruct the building in time for America’s bicentennial in 1976. All of these reports and historic surveys are in the library archives (and some are online too). So, I made two trips to the Independence National Historical Park to do research in person (something I had not done since my second book, as I was able to get all the information I needed for my two Gilded Age cookbooks via online sources). In addition, I was able to access many books and historic newspaper articles via Rutgers’ databases and collections, my local library, newspapers.com, and the Free Library of Philadelphia.
BWR: As an alcohol studies librarian, I am most interested in the “tavern” part. Literature on the history of alcohol shows that American taverns served as vital community centers, courtrooms, and social hubs alongside their role as alcohol vendors. Despite their different names, timelines, and continents, the American tavern also shares elements with the Italian bar, Greek taverna, and British pub, as a democratic, community place, simultaneously influenced by and influencing the local community. What was the most surprising fact you discovered from this perspective?
BLD: I think the most surprising thing was just how integral taverns were to business and political discourse at this time. It is perhaps difficult for us to imagine today since we are constantly bombarded with news and information, but word traveled much slower then. So, taverns were the closest thing to today’s internet and social media platforms, functioning as hubs for sharing news and other information, making business deals, buying and selling ship’s cargo, organizing new companies, and posting notices. On a social level, they have ties to the modern restaurant, hotel and bar, hosting entertainment such as dances and live music and functioning as important gathering spaces for fraternal organizations and political discussions. As unofficial forums where colonists could discuss issues and select leaders to unite neighboring communities, they were particularly important to the nation’s drive for independence.
BWR: Alcohol was a major dietary staple in the 18th century for various reasons, such the distrust of water supplies, medical misconceptions, costs, and ease of access. In 1790, United States government figures recorded that the average drinking-age American consumed roughly 5.8 gallons of pure alcohol annually. Considered as essential food, alcohol was consumed by almost everyone, including children, who drank low alcohol content beer or diluted cider, and laborers, who carbo-loaded with liquid calories. What background do you think you offer the reader in your book to digest (pun intended) this fact?
BLD: Yes, alcohol was consumed in greater numbers back then (for all those reasons you mention), but it is also important to note that there were still rules and regulations. For example, “Public houses” (also known as tap rooms or dram shops) served alcoholic beverages, traditionally by the dram (small units of just one-eighth an ounce). According to Philadelphia law at the time, all establishments with licenses to sell wine, spirits, beer, and cider “by small measure” were required to display a license number indicating what could be served there. Some were limited to beer and cider; others could sell spirits, beer, and cider; others wine, spirits, beer, and cider. In the 1790s, City Tavern had inn license No. 2 and was therefore entitled to sell wine and spirits. And restrictive laws of operation included prohibiting tavern keepers from serving Blacks, apprentices, American Indians, servants, and sailors without the permission of their masters or ships’ captains. In addition, women were generally excluded from tavern life except for special occasions such as balls and private parties.
BWR: John Adams famously praised City Tavern, but he was also known to start his mornings with hard cider. What did the day-to-day drinking schedule look like for a delegate at the tavern, from morning meetings to late-night debates?
BLD: The types of beverages that were served at the City Tavern included beer, ale, porter, and cider as well as wine, punch, rum, and other spirits. Coffee was also offered throughout the day and evening. Receipts and personal accounts exist from some of the larger banquet dinners, indicating copious amounts were consumed at these events. For example, on Friday, September 14, 1787, Washington wrote in his diary that he attended the Convention during the day and then went to the City Tavern that evening, to dine “at an entertainment given on my acct. by the City light horse.” Alongside the meal, the men drank fifty-four bottles of Madeira and sixty of claret; as well as fifty bottles of assorted “Old Stock,” porter, beer, cider, and seven large bowls of potent punch. The bill also noted dinners for sixteen musicians and servants, which included sixteen bottles of claret, five of Madeira, and seven bowls of punch for their portion. Not too surprising since the average annual consumption of distilled spirits was 3.7 gallons per person at the time, rising to 5 gallons at the turn of the nineteenth century, about three times today’s level.
BWR: In your research, did you find any surprising culinary adaptations where colonists had to alter traditional European recipes because of native ingredients available in Pennsylvania?
BLD: Yes, absolutely. One of the main adaptations was substituting cornmeal for wheat flour, as corn was a New World food and much more available. So, there were many recipes for things like pound cake and pudding that use corn meal or corn flour. There were also adaptations of both sweet and savory recipes incorporating fruits and vegetables that were indigenous to the region, such as cranberries, blueberries and various squashes. Pennsylvania game such as venison and wild turkey was also adapted to European recipes, as were recipes for the different fish that were available in the region such as shad and salmon.
BWR: Rum punch was frequently served in massive, communal bowls that delegates shared. How did this style of communal drinking shape the social dynamics and foster a sense of brotherhood among men from completely different states?
BLD: Great question! This didn’t really come up in my research, but yes, I can imagine that this type of communal drinking helped foster a sense of fraternity among the delegates. What DID show up in my research was the fact that the City Tavern was a site of various organizational meetings. They would absolutely have shared food and drink during their gatherings. This included groups such as the Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, an American charitable and social organization for Irish Americans founded in 1771. Also, the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania (America’s oldest patriotic organization) which was founded on October 4, 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution.
BWR: A quote from the book mentioning Inn license Number 2, assigned to the Tavern, was probably burnt in the fire of 1834, along with any related artifacts. This highlights our work as librarians, archivists, researchers, and authors, who locate, preserve, and share primary sources, such as letters, personal diaries, and ledgers. Both non-fiction books like yours and historical fiction, such as The City Tavern papers: Philadelphia and the conversations that forged a nation, benefit tremendously. You shared an impressive list of your research notes in the appendix. What are some of your favorite archival items related to the book?
BLD: That would be the many historic reports and surveys that I was able to access at the Independence National Historic Park Library and Archives. And as I mentioned earlier, some were online too, which was very helpful. These included City Tavern—Historic Structure Report: Architectural Data Section (February 1973) by Penelope Hartshorne Batcheler, “City Tavern: A Short History,” by Dominik K. Magyar, City Tavern—Historic Structure Report by Miriam Quinn Blimm and The City Tavern: Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by John David Ronalds Platt. It was also great fun and very helpful having the ability to access historic newspapers from the time such as the Pennsylvania Gazette and Philadelphia Inquirer via various Rutgers databases and newspapers.com.
BWR: Previously, we also talked about the wonderful photography in your books. Having spent almost two decades with one of the most reputable archival collections in alcohol history, I believe this book posed quite a challenge in locating the perfect resources. How did you manage to select the illustrations in the new book?
BLD: Well, luckily many historic images of not only the City Tavern, but also the people and places mentioned in the book were in the public domain, so I was able to obtain access to those pretty easily. The National Park Service also had some available for public use on their website. In addition, former Chef Walter Staib and his Taste of History producer, Phil Gajari also shared several images with me that I have been able to use in both the book and my social media posts. Then the publisher Bruce Franklin of Westholme Publishing also was able to locate several images that enhanced the text.
BWR: Every new book is a new journey for the author, even though one can rely on experience with research and writing. What were the most difficult times for you researching and writing this book? How was it different from your previous books?
BLD: Yes, absolutely! Well, this book was mainly different in that I had to go back to an earlier timeframe than I had previously. I had done a bit of research on this era in the past, but it had been a while. So, there was a bit of a learning curve in getting up to speed regarding colonial history and the 18th century. In addition, I was in somewhat of a time crunch as we really wanted to publish the book this year to align with America’s 250th anniversary.
BWR: Finally, we both know that an author never rests. What’s next?
BLD: My next project is a cookbook focused on Edith Wharton’s recipe collection. I am working on this with Gwenyth Todd, a descendent of Wharton’s close friends Royall and Elisina Tyler and the person who brought this project to me. These are recipes from Wharton’s personal collection – some handwritten, some typed and some clipped from newspapers. All of them were significant to Wharton and her life in some way. Highlighting social practice, identity, and location, the chapters within will illustrate just how vividly these recipes helped shape her palate and writing.
BWR: Thank you! Wishing you all the best for your next book.
BLD: Thank you so much!! I appreciate the interest and support!!!
For additional reading on the subject:
- Diamond, B. L. (2026). City Tavern: The founding table—Colonial dining, revolutionary history, and the restaurant at the center of it all. Westholme Publishing.
- Hamele, S. (2026). The City Tavern papers: Philadelphia and the conversations that forged a nation. Schuyler & Sons Publishing.
- Staib, W. (1999). The City Tavern cookbook: Recipes from the birthplace of American cuisine. Running Press.
- Staib, W. (2019). A taste of history cookbook: The official companion to the Emmy Award-winning PBS series. Grand Central Publishing.
- Thompson, P. (2010). Rum punch and revolution: Taverngoing and public life in eighteenth-century Philadelphia. University of Pennsylvania Press.