Art historian and cultural critic Alison Pearlman looks at the design and marketing of restaurants to tell our social story. She is the author of Smart Casual: The Transformation of Gourmet Restaurant Style in America, and she blogs as The Eye in Dining. She teaches in the art department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and lives in Los Angeles. Her latest book, May We Suggest: Restaurant Menus and the Art of Persuasion is available now from Agate Publishing.