Dishes at the Tavern

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The restaurant is a fairly recent invention. In general, in a medieval setting, you could look forward to bread, stew, maybe some cheese, and game if you're lucky (and well to do).

Most D&D worlds have a lot more wealth and a lot more mobility by residents than the medieval world did, as well as a much more cosmopolitan environment, thanks to having multiple races with distinct cultures living practically cheek to cheek.

Of all the anachronisms in a fantasy game, this is probably the most plausible one, IMO.

 

[Tinner]

Project Gutenberg is your fast, free friend!
Check out The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking by Helen Stuart Campbell

While it was originall published in 1839, I think you'll find a lot of those same dishes would be right at home in a fantasy tavern.
Good hearty fare like boiled tongue, currant jelly, etc.
There are quite a few good texts to be found on Gutenberg. Check it out.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Another option would be to check out the Volo's Guides for the Forgotten Realms. Some of them are available on the WotC Classic Downloads site:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads

The tavern fare featured in the various tavern descriptions is often not quite "authentic medieval," but makes for a set of tempting recipes. Plus there's pricing info and all sorts of other useful tavern gossip (like excellent adventure hooks about previous guests or owners, etc.).

 

[Angel Tarragon]

For great variety in meals visit the Crazed Cannibal. We serve all kinds of people!

If I have the Chinese will I still be hungry an hour later?

 

[Rothe]

In case you wish to provide tehm with a nutriotionally balanced diet appropriate to their social status:

http://www.keskiaika.org/kirjasto/food/theories.htm

http://www.godecookery.com/feastpre/feastpre.htm

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/encyclopaedia!openframeset&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/medieval!opendocument

 

[Warren Okuma]

Or you could go the other way....

http://travel.discovery.com/tv/bizarre-foods/bizarre-top-10/poll.html

 

[Celebrim]

Didn't we just have this thread? I seem to remember a tavern thread not long ago.

I've seen medieval cookbooks with authentic dishes, and I believe that there is a Latin cookbook containing dishes from antiquity. One of the Epicureans or some such wrote down his favorite dishes. I'll see what I can do to find something along those lines.

Any way, a medieval tavern would not be ala carte. You wouldn't order off 'the menu' because there wouldn't be a menu as we know it. Eating at an inn would be more like eating at someone's home, and in fact would be someone's home. You might suggest how well you'd wish to eat, if there was enough time you might request dishes ahead of time, or the innkeep might simply judge from your clothes what you could afford and serve you accordingly. Also remember that there is no refridgeration so most many dishes are seasonal.

 

[Dross]

For Pratchett fans there is Nanny Ogg's Cookbook.

It may have something "worthwhile."

 

[Maggan]

Menu

I put together a menu for an inn in my WFRP campaign. You can find it at the following link:

http://altdorfer.blogspot.com/search/label/Menu

/M

 

[Umbran]

If you want to know what they ate in Italy in the 1500s, my wife has done a translation of large parts of a cookbook of the time - the cookbook of the Pope's personal chef, in fact. Not exactly tavern food, but even the table of contents should be educational. Drop me an e-mail and I can provide you with a url.