He can't understand why anyone would pay so much for Godiva; he almost single-handedly destroyed a box of Russel Stover chocolates, which are better than Fannie Mae, but not by much.
I don't normally get involved in this sort of discussion, because most of my food tastes are simple and unsophisticated. I don't acquire acquired tastes. I don't like beer, wine, or any sort of straight liquor. I don't like coffee, let alone have the capability of distinguishing well-roasted high-quality arabica beans from tenth rate robustas. I will never eat at Charlie Trotter's. I'm not a gourmet, or a foodie, in any sense of the term.
But chocolate, now, that's an exception. Valrhona is the candy bar of choice in the house, and I've actually lost much of my tolerance for crap chocolate (and more recently even for Lindt bars, which when I was in college constituted the top of my personal spectrum). I get the 70% cacao dark bars (though I like good milk chocolate too). I'll eat crushed cacao beans straight. If there's any food I'd even dare to lay my tastes on the line with anyone's, it's chocolate.
And no way is Russell Stover better than Fannie May in any universe that I'm participating in. Yes, sure, Godiva's chocolate is better than Fannie May (though I like some of Fannie May's fillings better-- this, of course, may go back to my usual plebeian tastes). But unless Russell Stover has secret caches of decent chocolate hidden among the Whitman's Sampler-level collections I've run into, it's not even playing in the same league as Fannie May. Fannie May is perfectly good-- not a thing of beauty and joy forever like the Chocolate Obsession1 the Ritz-Carlton served me a couple of months ago, but a nice, solid box of chocolates. Russell Stover, when I've had it, was just mediocre.
(I note, on doing a bit of research, that in addition to selling candy in drugstores, Russell Stover has its own network of stores. I note further that they're heavily concentrated in Missouri. I will therefore grant, for the sake of argument, that they may be better fresh in their native environment than after a few months on an Osco shelf. But after putting together a quality rant like the above, I can't see just tossing it out.)
1From the menu: "Warm Pur Caraibe Tart, Chocolate Pistachio Phyllo, and Bourbon Mint Ice Cream," but that doesn't do it justice. I've had plenty of good chocolate desserts (as, alas, a mere glance at me will reveal), but this was memorable.
no subject
I don't normally get involved in this sort of discussion, because most of my food tastes are simple and unsophisticated. I don't acquire acquired tastes. I don't like beer, wine, or any sort of straight liquor. I don't like coffee, let alone have the capability of distinguishing well-roasted high-quality arabica beans from tenth rate robustas. I will never eat at Charlie Trotter's. I'm not a gourmet, or a foodie, in any sense of the term.
But chocolate, now, that's an exception. Valrhona is the candy bar of choice in the house, and I've actually lost much of my tolerance for crap chocolate (and more recently even for Lindt bars, which when I was in college constituted the top of my personal spectrum). I get the 70% cacao dark bars (though I like good milk chocolate too). I'll eat crushed cacao beans straight. If there's any food I'd even dare to lay my tastes on the line with anyone's, it's chocolate.
And no way is Russell Stover better than Fannie May in any universe that I'm participating in. Yes, sure, Godiva's chocolate is better than Fannie May (though I like some of Fannie May's fillings better-- this, of course, may go back to my usual plebeian tastes). But unless Russell Stover has secret caches of decent chocolate hidden among the Whitman's Sampler-level collections I've run into, it's not even playing in the same league as Fannie May. Fannie May is perfectly good-- not a thing of beauty and joy forever like the Chocolate Obsession1 the Ritz-Carlton served me a couple of months ago, but a nice, solid box of chocolates. Russell Stover, when I've had it, was just mediocre.
(I note, on doing a bit of research, that in addition to selling candy in drugstores, Russell Stover has its own network of stores. I note further that they're heavily concentrated in Missouri. I will therefore grant, for the sake of argument, that they may be better fresh in their native environment than after a few months on an Osco shelf. But after putting together a quality rant like the above, I can't see just tossing it out.)