New Trend: Artisanal Toast

(Unrelated photo via Iain Watson)

Back at the Red Door one day, I asked the manager what was going on. Why all the toast? “Tip of the hipster spear,” he said.

Well, of course. You can now buy artisanal ice cubes and hand-sharpened pencils. This is how you separate yourself from the mass-produced rubes and their mass-produced lifestyles. John Gravois of the Pacific Standard went on a journey to investigate the latest popular food trend: artisanal toast. For $3-4, you can have professionally toasted bread at fancy cafes in San Francisco.

You can laugh at people who buy expensive toast. But the article is more interesting than just that obvious gag. Gravois traces artisanal toast back to one café. He tells the story of that café and its founder. Giulietta Carrelli was almost penniless in 2007, but she built up a successful small business from scratch. Starting and running a successful small business is hard. People who can do that—yes, even with fancy toast—are amazing.

-via Dave Barry