Sign of the Apocalypse #38: Gold dust brownie

By Michael J.W. Stickings

(It's been almost five months since #37. Let's get this going again. All of the SOTAs are listed over on the right sidebar.)

Need something to go with that $1,000 mint julep? How about a $1,000 brownie?

Yes, you read that correctly -- a $1,000 brownie. And you can get it in Atlantic City.

Although it really wouldn't go well with the julep. For it isn't just your basic brownie. It's "a brownie with hazelnuts imported from Italy, topped with gold dust, served with a vintage port wine in a $750 Baccarat crystal that the dessert-eater gets to keep as a souvenir."

So, really, you're paying for the crystal. And the port. In fact, the port comes in the crystal, and, well, uh, here's how the chef, Jemal Edwards, describes the experience: "You have this beautiful atomizer filled with the finest port known to man. You take a bite of the brownie, and as the flavors are coating your palate, your partner squirts the port onto your tongue. The acidity and sweetness from the port are hitting your mouth at the same time."

Ah. Right. Of course. I'm sure it's wonderful. And it all makes sense. (Except the hyperbole: "the finest port known to man"? I'm sure it's not.) But $1,000?

The natural human desire to acquire, as Machiavelli understood, truly knows no bounds. But it is also -- and this brownie is but a symptom of the deeper problem -- leading us towards the Apocalypse.