How Hipster Toast Made My Week

Brevity’s managing editor and culinarista Sarah Einstein writes:

John Gravois’ “A Toast Story” at Pacific Standard has me unexpectedly craving artisanal cinnamon toast, and not because I particularly like cinnamon toast. (For the record, while I share Brenda Miller’s preoccupation with toast, I prefer mine made out of pumpernickel or rye.) Gravois’ first reaction to San Frans’ latest food craze was “How silly; how twee; how perfectly San Francisco.” But he digs a little deeper, and what he finds will surprise and amaze you.

This essay demonstrates why writers need to stay emotionally and intellectually open when they set out to explore a subject; why the essay needs always to remain an exploration. If Gravois had insisted on sticking with his original thesis—that artisanal toast is just another example of how the influx of rich techies is ruining San Francisco—we would never have had this lovely, thought-provoking piece.