Ristoratori e social media. La costruzione sociale della qualità nelle Botteghe Storiche di Milano

The contemporary debate on food mainly focusses on the processes and techniques of production, by analysing the expectations and wishes of consumers, and direct relations between producers and consumers. However, rhetoric and practices that construct the quality of restaurants - places where food is prepared, served and consumed – remain often on the side-lines. What socially construct the “quality” of a dish served in a restaurant? The article points out the social use of this category focussing on some Milanese restaurants, recognised by the Municipality of Milan as Botteghe Storiche (Historical Workshop). Through the analysis of documents, participant observation and ethnographic interviews this article shows how the relationships between restaurateurs and customers using social media construct, in the narratives of the restaurant owners, the quality of their restaurants.