A Circular Firing Squad?

Ethicurean posts on the uproar over Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini's diss of the San Francisco Farmers Market, which he describes as elitist. What I find remarkable about his rant is that he joins Alice Waters at the end of the day to have a great meal at Chez Panisse, which I don't recall being a diner for the working class. I also seem to recall Slow Food charging $250 for a dinner here in Washington. Yes, for a good cause. Like those pricey heirloom tomatoes in San Francisco that support small farmers. My prediction: this will end badly if Slow Food doesn't do some damage control....

Comments

[Nicole de Beaufort]

Until the people serving our food can afford to eat at a Slow Food dinner/gala, the Slow Food Movement is neither fair nor just.

[faustianbargain]

i dont understand your point. the costs of a catered dinner or a restaurant meal is spread among service charges, rent and other fixed costs. the cost of raw materials for food production is an entirely different matter, no?

[Sam Fromartz]

I don't have a problem with Slow Food charging what they need to in order to raise money. I also don't have a problem with SF Farmers charging what the market will bear in Ferry Plaza farmers market. What needs to be said is it that this 'movement' can't end there because if it does it will be rather limited. Tasty but limited.

And what I do have a problem with is these two sides pointing fingers at each other. That makes no sense.