Random Snobbery
Tell me what bugs you :)
I had a funny little moment at the coffee shop this week. I was chatting with the couple who owns the shop as I do every time I stop by. There happened to be another woman there, a chef as it turns out. We got into a lively discussion about pastries—of all the delightful things to talk about in the morning! The general concession from the group was that it’s tough to find good ones! It’s especially tough to find French pastries in the middle of New Jersey where cannoli and sfogliatella reign. I proclaimed proudly that I’m a die hard pastry snob. I can barely look at the pale, limp croissants at the local Starbucks. A pain au chocolat that lacks flakiness is offensive. Don’t even get me started on a dry scone
As I left the shop I started thinking about funny little bits of random snobbery. Is there something you hate with every fiber of your being somewhat inexplicably? I want to know!
A quirky distaste for something that falls short of a privately held standard is a tasty little personality morsel that I love to snack on. Little bits of snobbery are a tiny window into what someone values. And once I revealed my bougie viewpoint on baked goods I couldn’t help but wonder what other things I felt so keenly about. So, naturally, given any excuse to do some introspection, I started to catalog my own little snobberys….
Pastries: We covered this but I should note that donuts fall into this category for me. I love donuts but I rarely eat them because if it’s not a perfect, sweet little pillow of sugar I don’t want it at all. When I visit my sister in Colorado, I always beg for my first morning to begin by stopping at LaMars. And I’ve been dying to go to Peter Pan, a NYC institution, for ages. Speaking of Brooklyn donuts, the White Coffee and Classic Glazed at Fan Fan never disappoint.
Coffee: My close friends know and likely hate this about me but I am who I am! Yes, I will get up early on a vacation to drive to a local coffee spot to get espresso that doesn’t taste like bitter asphalt. Yes, I will delay the road trip to stop at a coffee shop I know and love so I don’t have to suck down gas station swill on a long drive. Yes I will bring my own beans to your home (with permission of course) to avoid a morning that starts badly. It is what it is.
I clearly value good food. I was raised in a house where cooking was the central activity around which the family gathered. It was a common ground for teamwork and conversation and good food still comforts me in a way that can’t have come about by accident. I see food very much as a vehicle for pleasure, not just fuel. And, pastries and coffee have to be my favorite little culinary luxuries.
Sheets: They don’t have to be the most expensive but if the sheets are scratchy I’m annoyed. I want soft, crisp sheets that are cool to the touch and cozy the longer you lay there. My current favorite pricey ones are these and my go-to budget ones are these.
Hair color: There are currently two people in the entire world I will let color my hair. I don’t do it myself and I don’t go to anyone I don’t know. Maybe one too many horrible dye jobs in college sealed the deal on this one. I will forego hair color for as long as I have to to get an appointment with the right person.
100% cotton sweaters: This is a fairly new one for me. I am very allergic to wool and cashmere which means I miss out on 99% of the cute knitwear in the world. So, it’s cotton and cotton only for me. If the fabric is a blend with viscose, acrylic, or any other synthetic, I don’t want it. This means I basically rely on 5 sweaters to get by most of the time but it also means no scratchy, plastic-derivatives touching my skin.
I think these little pretensions ladder up a great value of mine which is quality. Blame the Libra in me but I can’t escape my champagne taste.
Singing: I make no claims about being an excellent singer though I can sing well. I think if anything, my ear might be better than my actual voice. And when it comes to the sound of singing—particularly the voices of women because that’s obviously where I’m most familiar—I am hyper critical. Do I have any right to be? Debatable! Are some of women I openly criticize greater singers than I will ever be? Of course! But that’s the fun of silly little bits of snobbery. A certain A-list singer who I think sounds the same no matter what she sings and a powerful Broadway belter who sounds like she’s squeezing every nasally note right through her nostrils will never know I can’t stand the sound of them and that suits us all just fine.
I have a friend coming into town tomorrow and I’ve decided to grill her on her little idiosyncratic snobberys. My guess is that it’s going to make great cocktail conversation. Try asking your group chat for theirs this week and PLEASE report back if you get a juicy response.
Still thinking about…..
This article is haunting me. (It’s worth starting a free trial to read) I worry all the time about what phones and iPads are doing to kids. I’ll probably end up writing about this but need more time to get my head around it.
Loving this cool little niche website that explores various shops around the world.
Thinking about scooping up this cute little summer bag.
H&M home has so many good things right now. This cute roll up picnic blanket (I keep a similar one in my car all summer for impromptu outdoor seating), this modern planter, and this stately bottle opener which would make a great hostess gift.
A cookbook I’m very excited to pre-order, his recipes never miss