Read other letters about this article

• Sunday, June 25, 2006 09:20 PM

  The problem: the self-satisfied and parochial

  Offering food is one of the most primal and generous of human actions, and turning it down one of the most primal rudenesses.

  So I think I can forgive Bourdain for his disdain of picky vegans, as long as we add to this list the fanatical Atkins meatarians and other restrictivists. We have a dozen friends we no longer associate with because of the conflation of veganity or other diet coupled with questionable "allergies". They're vegan AND "can't" eat onions. Or they're vegetarian AND "can't" eat mushrooms. Or they're Atkins. Or they're severely low fat. Or they can't stand any hint of spice. Where does it end? It goes on like this until the only common food a party can eat is ice cubes.

  I appreciate true allergies and I appreciate having a couple of truly vegetarian only dishes available. But people, especially in the self-righteous Bay Area, have become so self-involved that they can never consider a tiny break in their diet regimen. Little things: to accomodate a bit of butter, or beef stock, or "bad carbs"-- in the spirit of friendship, camaraderie, adventure, or just being a good guest. People like this piss me off because everything is all about them and all the little rules that they and everyone around them needs to follow in order to include them. It's rude. At a very primal level.

  In this way, these "enlightened" Bay Areans with the richest variety and diversity of foods available to them become as backwater and broken as the most parochial rube who proclaims, "Ooo. No, I hate Chinese food. I never had it, but I know I'd hate it. Only American food for me."

  —cosmique Read cosmique's other letters
  Permalink
  Flag
  Click "Submit Flag" if you feel this post is inappropriate. Explain why below if you wish.

  Cancel