Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Something You Should Know
Host: Mike Carruthers
Episode: The Untold Story of the Christmas Tree & The New Rules of Eating Out
Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this multifaceted episode, host Mike Carruthers explores two fascinating topics perfect for the holiday season:

• The rich, surprising history and science of the Christmas tree featuring expert guest Trent Presler.
• The evolving reality of dining out, including rising costs, tipping culture, and behind-the-scenes restaurant dynamics, with food writer Adam Reiner.

Both discussions blend storytelling, practical advice, and expert perspective, offering listeners deeper insight into festive traditions and everyday life.

Segment 1: The Untold Story of the Christmas Tree

Guest: Trent Presler, Professor at Cornell University and author of Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America

What Are Evergreen Trees?

• Definition & Adaptations:
  • Evergreens, unlike deciduous trees, don’t lose their foliage in winter. Their conical (pyramidal) shape helps manage snow and maximize side-light absorption during low winter sunlight [07:03].
  • "They are tough as nails. These trees grow in the most inhospitable climates… They can survive on a rock ledge with almost nothing." — Trent Presler [07:31]
  • Evergreens are ancient, appearing in the fossil record millions of years ago.

Origins of the Christmas Tree Tradition

• Pagan Roots:
  • Ancient pagan rituals brought evergreen boughs indoors during the winter solstice as symbols of hope and life amid darkness [08:35].
• German Beginnings:
  • Modern Christmas tree traditions began in 16th-century Germany, where villagers decorated trees with bread, ginger, apples, and candies [08:35].
• Royal Influence & Cultural Spread:
  • The British royal family popularized tree decorating, especially after a widely circulated image featured English royalty with a decorated tree.
  • "It was one of the original viral images." — Presler [09:48]
  • Food-centric decorations symbolized abundance.

Surprising Historical Roles of Evergreens

• The Pine Tree Riot:
  • Long before the Boston Tea Party, the Pine Tree Riot marked colonial resistance to British control of American white pine trees, which were coveted for ship masts [10:45].
  • Colonists would cut trees just below the legal size threshold to avoid royal claims—hence, many colonial homes feature wide, old pine floors [11:51].
  • "If it was 24 inches, it would technically be the property of the crown." — Presler [11:56]
• Evergreens in War:
  • During WWI, 400,000 U.S. military men were mobilized to harvest Sitka spruce in the Pacific Northwest, critical for making fighter planes [28:13].
  • "We supplied lumber for the Allies to build airplanes and it really turned the tide in the war." — Presler [29:10]

Evergreens: Utility and Spiritual Value

• Building Material:
  • Evergreens are unmatched for their “lignocellulose” structure, which makes their wood both strong and ideal for construction, furniture, and composite products [12:25].
  • "I can't think of anything that occupies…both extreme utilitarian value and spiritual…to society." — Presler [12:38]
• Farming vs. Wild Cutting:
  • America's wild evergreen forests were extensively logged for 400 years, but now most timber comes from tree farms on 40-year harvest cycles [14:19].
  • Georgia is the leading state for evergreen seedling production [14:51].

Christmas Tree Farming: The Fine Art

• How They’re Raised:
  • Christmas trees are the same species as those grown for lumber, but are pruned and shaped for fullness and visual appeal—sometimes using specialized tools [19:00].
  • "Hundreds of steps…prune them, shape them…No one likes a sparse Christmas tree." — Presler [19:20]
• The Business Model:
  • Tree farming requires patience—eight to ten years elapse before harvest. Most farmers must supplement income with other crops [20:21].
  • "There are very few crops in the world—wine is one of them—where you have to plant and wait years before you get a crop." — Presler [20:22]

Tree Types, Scents & Cultural Symbols

• Varieties:
  • Choice often comes down to fragrance and feel; balsam fir is cherished for its iconic “Christmas tree smell” [21:07].
  • "A rose smells like a rose, and a Christmas tree smells like a Christmas tree." — Presler [21:25]

The Rockefeller Center Tree

• A tradition since the Great Depression, launched by construction workers [22:20].
• Head gardener Eric Pauc searches the northeast each year for the perfect 70–80ft Norway spruce, sometimes by knocking on homeowners’ doors [22:20].

Artificial vs. Real Trees

• Artificial Trees:
  • Chosen for reusability and convenience, but typically discarded after a decade [23:56].
  • "It's kind of not true that artificial trees are forever…" — Presler [24:09]
  • The fake tree market has evolved, with companies like Balsam Hill mastering "artificial authenticity" [26:34].
• The Emotional Factor:
  • Many switch to artificial for convenience, but nostalgia draws people back to real trees.
  • "Nothing can replace a real tree. The smell, the texture, and the imperfections of it…" — Presler [24:49]
  • "You switch to artificial and then you miss the real." — Presler [25:36]

Segment 2: The New Rules of Eating Out

Guest: Adam Reiner, Food Writer & Author of The New Rules of Dining Out

The Struggles Facing Restaurants Today

• Economic Pressure:
  • Costs have risen for both diners and restaurants (labor, food costs), squeezing margins and limiting experience [33:56].
  • "The restaurant economy is struggling and probably broken in many ways that most…can't really see." — Adam Reiner [33:56]
• Negative word-of-mouth travels faster than positive [34:55].

A Brief History of Restaurants

• Origins in America:
  • The first modern American restaurant: Delmonico’s in NYC, offering à la carte menus (since 1830s), shifting from communal, fixed meals to customized experiences [35:24].
  • Restaurants evolved into entertainment, not just nourishment—think tableside flambés or Benihana [37:34].
  • The post-WWII boom saw restaurants become central to American social and entertainment life.

The COVID Effect

• Permanent Shifts:
  • Habits have changed: more delivery, more fast-casual. Fine dining and traditional sit-down experiences are less prevalent [39:44].

The Tipping Dilemma

• Customer Frustration:
  • New fees and expected higher tips—often via awkward digital prompts—annoy customers [40:29].
  • "You haven't given me anything. I have nothing to judge this tip on yet." — Mike Carruthers [43:49]
• Systemic Issues:
  • U.S. tipping subsidizes low wages; a federal “tip credit” leaves server base pay at just $2.13/hour [41:14].
  • While some restaurants try “service included,” higher sticker prices often meet consumer resistance.

Maximizing Your Restaurant Experience

• Dining Out is a Skill:
  • Approach with a positive, present mindset; customer demeanor shapes service [45:13].
  • "You can have a bad experience at a great restaurant or a great experience at a bad restaurant…the constant variable…is you." — Reiner [46:47]
• Tips for Interaction:
  • Greet staff warmly. “Tell them you’re really excited to be there…Restaurant workers really do appreciate that enthusiasm.” — Reiner [47:26]
  • When seeking recommendations, provide dietary preferences rather than asking vague questions like “What’s your favorite?” [48:40]
• Staff Experience:
  • Not all waitstaff have tried every menu item; restaurants with better staff training or perks tend to be more knowledgeable [49:24].
• Sales Pressures:
  • Sometimes servers will be told to “push” certain dishes to reduce waste, especially high-cost or short shelf-life items [50:55].

Restaurant Reality: Organized Chaos

• Behind the Scenes:
  • "Nothing that you ask for in a restaurant is ever easy. The natural state of a restaurant is chaos…staff is there to guard you from it." — Reiner [52:36]
  • Special requests, modifications, or “simple” changes often complicate kitchen workflow.

Key Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The intersection of tradition and economics:

  • "Christmas trees are the same species that if you just let them grow, they'll be 100ft tall and can be con lumber. They're just raised differently." — Presler [19:00]
  • "You can have a bad experience at a great restaurant or a great experience at a bad restaurant…The constant variable...is you." — Reiner [46:47]

• On authenticity and meaning:

  • "They're selling more authentic [artificial] trees by perfecting the art of imperfections…testing Americans' very notion of what authenticity is in the first place." — Presler [27:10]
  • "If your server comes over to you and you're looking at your phone and not paying attention, that may be a missed opportunity." — Reiner [47:37]

• On economic realities:

  • "The menu prices are subsidized by the labor of the tipped workers." — Reiner [41:38]
  • "All the people working behind the scenes…their job is to try to guard you…from the chaos behind the scenes." — Reiner [52:36]

Bonus Intel: Surprising Food Facts

Quick-hit takeaways from the episode:

• Some foods make you hungrier:
  • Salty snacks, diet sodas, juices, and processed foods can spike cravings and lead to increased hunger rather than satiety [53:59].

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Yawning science trivia [04:22–06:00]
• Christmas Tree Deep Dive (Trent Presler) [06:00–29:14]
• Dining Out Realities (Adam Reiner) [33:01–53:54]
• Foods that Make You Hungrier [53:59–55:21]

Overall Tone & Takeaway

This episode reflects the podcast’s trademark blend of curiosity and practical life wisdom. Both guests speak plainly and with warmth, weaving personal anecdote, scientific rigor, and actionable advice together. The result: listeners walk away with a deeper appreciation for both holiday traditions and the hidden dynamics of eating out.

For further reading:

• Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America by Trent Presler
• The New Rules of Dining Out by Adam Reiner

(Find links to the books in the episode show notes.)