15 Quotes by Jeffrey Steingarten

I am reminded that while New Yorkers say "standing on line," the rest of the English-speaking world says "standing in line.

As long as I can remember, male candy eaters have been ill-used, misunderstood, and denigrated, in films and on television, as weak, self-indulgent, soft, effeminate, undisciplined, and venal. Most of us have been driven underground. We eat our candy alone and on the sly. We never experience the intimacy of sharing candy with others—unless we have chosen our mates wisely.

Whenever I have nothing better to do, I roast a chicken.

Bad bread wrecks my outlook on life.

Whenever I travel to the South, the first thing I do is visit the best barbecue place between the airport and my hotel. An hour or two later I visit the best barbecue place between my hotel and dinner.

Yes, that pretty much sums it up. On this we can all agree.

admits he prefers Haagen-Dazs to Ben & Jerry's. Even so, he salutes Carbone's efforts to be different. ''There is something good and enlivening and even ennobling about food that makes you laugh, that makes you curious, makes you wonder.

What’s so bad about addiction? I can’t remember. Isn’t it something about giving up your freedom? Isn’t freedom an illusion?

Among the cognoscenti, though, it is not just about elaborate new flavors. I always consider the main test of ice cream to be the simple ice creams, especially vanilla. One should have fun when one eats, but it should also be seriously good.