Foodie or Not?

Gail and I vacationed on Treasure Island this past July with my sisters and their kids. I have a Woody's sticker on the back window of my car now. I wanted to eat at Bella Habanas, but got outvoted. We did have Cuban sandwiches at the Floridian, and had fried grouper sandwiches at Frenchy's in Clearwater Beach. I love the area.

And here I thought Woody's was this out of the way dive no one knew about! It's so "off the beaten path" I figured it was just a local hangout. Glad you found it! Pretty special, huh? Oh, and do I miss Cuban sandwiches. I've written about my longing for them in this forum. I used to work in Clearwater, so Frenchy's was a frequent lunch spot. Excellent grouper sandwiches!

How do you like what they're doing with John's Pass? It's changed a lot since we first started going there in the early 90s.

You know, we didn't get over to John's Pass this time, although my brother lives on the intercoastal waterway one block from the pass. I know he's happy with the changes.

Where are you in NC? I think I've asked before but I forget...I want to say north of Charlotte...

Plus, don't forget March 14.

Sierpiński's birthday?

I'm surprised you didn't get this one, Stuart. It's a very special and romantic day one month after Valentine's Day. Mark it on your calendar.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=March%2014th

First, as today is my birthday, where do I collect that item which Yaniger has placed on the gift registry?

Second, my girlfriend put it succinctly when she described me as a "Foodie," even though she did not use that term. She said I pay attention to detail when I cook. And I think that's what is at the heart of it.

Third, refer to item #1 above.

I love good food, and would consider my self a 'gourmet.' But I don't think I'd call my self a foodie, because it seems to me there is a snob factor associated with assuming the title. Which is to say, it seems to me that people who call/think of themselves as foodies must keep up appearances by scolding or being contemptuous of 'lesser' cuisine. Because you know, everybody has the time to cook that way on an everyday basis, of course . I have occasionally admitted to having fond memories of certain McDonalds menu items, or being pretty pleased with the results of a Betty Crocker recipe. And when I related such experiences, it seems like someone feels a compulsive need to point out to me that such food really isn't fit for consumption by an intelligent human being, and no pleasure can possible be derived from such humble fare. This is what I've come to think of as the problem of Modern Epicureanism versus Classical Epicureanism. See, the idea of Classical Epicureanism is to maximize pleasure by appreciating the simple things; the logical extension of which is that when one then has greater things, you will then derive greater pleasure from them. [It is true however that taken to completion, Classical Epicureanism would have you living as a hermit on bread and water.] Modern Epicureanism (which has mostly usurped even the meaning of the word) consists of maximizing pleasure by partaking generously of the greater things. To which I respond, if one is exposed to anything on a regular basis, the reaction of the body and the mind is to adjust to that as the base level of stimulus (that's a real physiological/psychological reaction folks). Which is to say, at some point, you have then lost the dynamic range to perceive those stimuli at their proper levels. In short, if you eat gourmet food all the time, you will eventually lose the ability to appreciate it, because you will no longer have perspective for whether it is good or not.

How do you like what they're doing with John's Pass? It's changed a lot since we first started going there in the early 90s.

You know, we didn't get over to John's Pass this time, although my brother lives on the intercoastal waterway one block from the pass. I know he's happy with the changes.

Where are you in NC? I think I've asked before but I forget...I want to say north of Charlotte...

Correct. We live in Winston-Salem where I grew up.

I love good food, and would consider my self a 'gourmet.' But I don't think I'd call my self a foodie, because it seems to me there is a snob factor associated with assuming the title. Which is to say, it seems to me that people who call/think of themselves as foodies must keep up appearances by scolding or being contemptuous of 'lesser' cuisine.

Interesting take, Ryan. For my own part, I'll accept the term "foodie" as I do "winegeek" in preference to "gourmet" or "connoisseur" which I find too grandiose. To each his own, though.

Mark Lipton