Although the Italian diaspora has a lot to contribute to the diffusion of Italian food worldwide, restaurant dining as we know it originated in France. To this day, most "Fine Dining" is heavily influenced by French cuisine and restaurant culture, and standards in fine dining are set by French institutions, like the Michelin Guide and the Cordon Bleu institute.

I write a brief answer on food variety, flavor, and culture in mediterranean cuisine here, where I get into historic mediterranean agricultural productivity levels and interconnected superegionalization (a seemingly contradictory phrase, I know, but it makes sense in context).