Note: Tex/Mex, Italian, and Japanese availability, quality, and pricing vary widely according to where in the country you are.
I'd chalk up French to the 1980s. As in "If you wanted to be a really good chef, you studied French cooking", which resulted in popular "If you wanted to go to a really fancy restaurant, it was French."
Thankfully, that seems to be fading in the urban US in favor of more local/fusion emphasis.
Chinese: $-$$ Tex/Mex: $-$$ Indian: $-$$$ Thai: $$ Japanese: $$-$$$ Italian: $-$$$$ French: $$-$$$$
Note: Tex/Mex, Italian, and Japanese availability, quality, and pricing vary widely according to where in the country you are.
I'd chalk up French to the 1980s. As in "If you wanted to be a really good chef, you studied French cooking", which resulted in popular "If you wanted to go to a really fancy restaurant, it was French."
Thankfully, that seems to be fading in the urban US in favor of more local/fusion emphasis.