The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts hosts on Oct. 23 its Culinary Crossroads, a fundraiser for History Cambridge to explore the many contributions Cambridge has made to the region’s culinary landscape. From the harvesting of oysters by the area’s Indigenous residents to the meat-packing industry of East Cambridge, the city has a long and storied culinary history. World-renowned chefs such as Julia Child and Joyce Chen have brought Cambridge to national and international prominence, and locally created dishes such as the Porterhouse steak and Peking ravioli have gone well beyond Cambridge to become widespread favorites.
History Cambridge has created – and continues to expand on – a number of online History Hubs for those curious about a wide variety of subjects related to the city’s history, including a Culinary History Hub. This site features articles, photos and videos documenting Cambridge’s rich history of food, cooking and restaurants, including History Cambridge’s 2021 Fall Conversation, “How Has Food Mended Cambridge?” It explored the ways making and sharing food has connected Cantabrigians across time, including during the Covid pandemic. As a means of caring for one another and sharing cultures, food has played a significant role in the city’s past and continues to connect the community.
It is one of Cambridge’s oldest industries, ice harvesting, that we can thank for many of the culinary developments we have enjoyed over the past two centuries. The Fresh Pond Ice Co., founded in 1805 by Frederick Tudor, the “Ice King of New England,” employed workers to harvest ice for use by restaurants and home cooks far and wide to cool and preserve food. The technology of ice storage and transportation evolved significantly over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, but until the advent of commercial refrigeration, ice blocks cut from Fresh Pond and other local bodies of water were the only means of cooling food, making them crucial to the area’s food culture. Once large blocks of ice were readily available, restaurants were able to greatly expand their operations and serve many more customers.
In the 19th century, Porter Square was one of the city’s major thoroughfares, largely because of its location as a center for the railroad and cattle industries. The Porter Hotel hosted merchants and businesspeople traveling through the area, and the T-bone steak served in its restaurant, the Porterhouse steak, has become a household name. Frank’s Steakhouse opened on Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge a century later and remains one of the area’s most popular restaurants.
Home cooking remained the way most Cantabrigians – and most Americans in general – ate the vast majority of their meals well into the 20th century, but the influx of migrants from a wide variety of countries and regions significantly diversified the offerings available at local markets and the types of cuisines served in the growing restaurant industry. As arrivals settled in Cambridge, they brought their own food traditions and broadened the culinary horizons of their fellow Cantabrigians. The city’s rich and diverse food landscape is in large part due to its vibrant immigrant communities, and dining out has become a means by which residents can learn about their neighbors through sharing a meal. For those who cook at home, locally produced and nationally distributed cookbooks and television shows such as those by Julia Child and Joyce Chen have helped to bring the city’s diverse culinary traditions to a wider audience.
The many facets of Cambridge’s long and storied food history will be explored at Culinary Crossroads on Oct. 23. History Cambridge invites the public to join us for delicious food and an exploration of rich traditions while supporting the work we do to collect and share the stories of all Cantabrigians and their contributions to the vibrant mosaic of our city.
About History Cambridge
History Cambridge started in 1905 as the Cambridge Historical Society. Today we have a new name and a new mission. We engage with our city to explore how the past influences the present to shape a better future. We recognize that every person in our city knows something about Cambridge’s history, and their knowledge matters. We listen to our community and we live by the ideal that history belongs to everyone. Throughout 2025, we are focusing on the history of East Cambridge. Make history with us at historycambridge.org.
History Cambridge is a nonprofit organization. Our activities rely on your financial support. If you value articles like this one, give today.
Beth Folsom is programs manager for History Cambridge.
Feature image is by Hanxiao Xu via Unsplash.
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