This thesis examines the progression of America's culinary landscape over the past fifty years. While many accounts of American culinary history focus on the "Big 3", Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, and James Beard, in the 50s and 60s, this paper will instead focus on those on the years after. The basis of this work asserts that a culinary golden age in the United States began in the nineteen-eighties. A short introduction will introduce the readers to the current trends in the Unites States culinary landscape. The first chapter will qualify the culinary golden age based on international and domestic restaurant reviews. The second chapter will focus on New York City, defined as America's culinary capital, and how political, economic, and demographic changes within the city created the demand for a culinary golden age. The third chapter will discuss how a supply of chefs and restaurants formed to meet the growing demand for a culinary golden age. The fourth chapter examines how America's food media industry took shape and how it is responsible for fueling the continuation of the culinary golden age. This thesis concludes by highlighting the importance of food in American society today and predicts that despite challenging economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the culinary golden age will continue.