Ah, the good old days, when a root beer cost five cents and a filet mignon was only $2. What? You never had dinner at the Crystal Palace? You don’t remember the ABC Food Store or Weingarten’s? Get over to the “What’s Cookin’? Two Centuries of American Foodways” exhibit at the Heritage Society for a refreshing look back at a simpler time — before microwave rice and MSG warning labels. You’ll see vintage menus, antique canned goods and utensils, photos of Houston’s early restaurants, and cookbooks. Be on the lookout for Mammy Lou’s Cook Book, written in 1931 by local food writer Betty Benton Patterson, to see just how much food reflects time and place. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Through January 4. 1100 Bagby. For information, call 713-655-1912 or visit www.heritagesociety.org. Free.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Oct. 7. Continues through Jan. 4, 2008

This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2008.