The Defining Moment In American Food History?

I'm continuing to read food history--though obviously not blogging about it much--and last night I reached Prohibition--January 16, 1920, when the 18th amendment to the US Constitution prohibited the sale of alcohol.

As with most attempts to legislate morality, the "Noble Experiment" failed miserably, and I have read that alcohol consumption actually INCREASED during that time, though I am still looking for the source so please don't quote me on that one.  And like most things, there were far-reaching consequences that seem to have not been considered:  the rise of organized crime, the lack of tax revenues on alcohol causing a tax shortage and almost destroying the existing restaurant industry.

According to Harvey Levenstein in Revolution at the Table, (and considering how many footnotes & sources he lists, I tend to believe him on things) before Prohibition, restaurants--especially those of the "fine dining" variety--were for men only because of the conspicuous consumption of alcohol and were devoted mostly to French cuisine, which had been held up as THE standard for fine dining since the later 1800s, and was generally for the upper-classes only.  Hotels, which could offer large portions with fine ingredients and low room rates because they made most of their money from the alcohol, had to change to cheaper food, smaller portions, and untrained chefs or go out of business.  Many of the legendary New York restaurants like Delmonico's went out of business.  Between not being able to cook with wine, not being able to serve wine with dinner, and general cost problems due to lack of alcohol revenue, the "fine dining" segment of society basically evaporated.

However, because restaurants could no longer serve alcohol, it became acceptable for women--especially those in the work force--to visit them.  As bars were converted to soda fountains, quick inexpensive meals became a national trend.  Automats, sandwich shops, cafeterias--anything that could provide cheap, clean, fast meals flourished.  Classically trained chefs were replaced by cheap unskilled labor who could assemble meals from cans & simple cooking techniques.  Aimed at the working classes who weren't impressed by French food and weren't comfortable ordering things they couldn't pronounce, French food fell out of favor.  Since the movies had made slimness & the Flapper a national ideal, the new meals were lighter and some restaurants even posted calorie content right on their menu--and people considered it a GOOD thing.  Maybe it helped that the 1200-calorie burger was still several years into the future.....