4 Outrageously Expensive Dinners Of The Past

11:00 AM ET Linton Weeks Twitter i James W. Parkinson, 19th century Philadelphia restaurateur, in The Confectioner's Journal, 1875. From "The Thousand Dollar Dinner" hide caption itoggle caption From "The Thousand Dollar Dinner" James W. Parkinson, 19th century Philadelphia restaurateur, in The Confectioner's Journal, 1875. From "The Thousand Dollar Dinner" The tradition of lavish, super-indulgent dinners in America, says Becky Libourel Diamond, author of the soon-to-be-published book The Thousand Dollar Dinner, comes from the fact that our country has always been known as the Land of Opportunity for Pursuers of Happiness. Pass the champagne and caviar. "Expensive dinners became a way for...