Lured by a newly validated relative, I went back to the “fancy” food show again for the first time since the dispiriting “revival” after lockdown. And came away convinced that one way to track #TrumpSlump would be to measure attendance at conventions like the Specialty Food Show. Seemed quite sparse to me. & all the booths hyping international deals looked just sad with a serial bankrupt running tariffs.

One good thing I learned, though, was that caviar producers are turning all those egg-bearing fish into other products, like smoked sturgeon and smoked sturgeon paté. Which is eco- and economically smart. But I just keep hearing the drunk old at a press lunch like 30 years ago who stood up after too much Champagne in the middle of the day and started singing “caviar is virgin sturgeon.” At least that fish is not getting fucked over anymore. (And if you think too hard, you really start to shake your damn head over how all the pro-lifers will pay megabucks to consume certain eggs.)