America’s first restaurant was called Delmonico’s. It started in 1830 in New York. And Yale University history professor Paul Freedman says it had a big effect on the food Americans eat. “It defined what elegant food was in the 19th century United States, and that has influenced…the food that is eaten today,” Freedman said. Delmonico’s invented famous foods like lobster Newberg and baked Alaska. It continues to serve those and other favorites at its New York City location. “It's created in the 1830s, but in 1890, it's still considered the best restaurant in the U.S.,” Freedman said. A lot of restaurants elsewhere called themselves “the Delmonico's of” whatever city they were in, he added.