There once was a time when a hungry wanderer, short on cash and suddenly in need of a meal, could stop by a machine, slide in a few nickels, and get something more substantial out than a Snickers bar.

On the front window of the Bamn automat in the East Village, there is a guide on how to purchase food there. Though most restaurants don’t require instructions, it’s probably a good idea to memorize ...

Before our burgeoning fast-casual dining climate took hold, and before fast-food fever swept over the nation during the 1950s (continuing its dominance through today), Americans of all classes sat ...