Food defined social hierarchy in 1776. Here's what was on the table

Established in 1750, Middleton Tavern in Annapolis, Md., is one of the oldest continuously operating taverns in the U.S. Anna Rose Layden for NPR hide caption toggle caption Anna Rose Layden for NPR ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Arthur Gross has been the chef at Middleton Tavern in Annapolis, Md., for 50 years. That's a long time, even for a tavern that started serving food before the country's inception. Sometimes, in between preparing food in the kitchen, "I wonder to myself what would it have been like?" Miller said of the early days at the 276-year-old tavern. In 1776, seafood such as rockfish and crab dominated the diets of many early colonists in Maryland. Arthur Gross is the executive chef at Middleton Tavern. He's worked at the restaurant for 50 years. Anna Rose Layden for NPR hide caption toggle caption Anna Rose Layden for NPR And now, when Gross orders food for the restaurant, it features some of the same staples: 100 pounds of rockfish, 6 pounds of crab claw meat, 10 pounds of calamari rings and tentacles, crackers and lemon juice. In Annapolis, where it's common for historical reenactors decked out in short gowns, petticoats, caps and leather-buckle shoes to lead tourists around the historic streets, it almost feels like 1776. (If you squint a little and ignore the cars.) As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, it's hard not to imagine, along with Gross, how people's diets shaped everyday life then. …