The New York-based journalist Carson Griffith has many talents, but she’s especially astute when it comes to predicting — and interpreting — the zeitgeist. Her newish newsletter, RPS, has become the toast of Substack — and the talk of culture fiends all over the world. She joined us for lunch with her friend Harsch Kumar Sood, an art advisor and curator.
Is the Long Lunch a habit or aberration for you?
Habit, and a smart one. It’s a luxury, obviously, but it’s also good business. Deals get made, ideas get shaped, feuds get patched up. There’s nothing quite like being face-to-face. Everyone should be scheduling more of them.
What makes a Long Lunch enjoyable, versus a chore?
The chore version has an agenda. The good version, nobody’s mentioned the reason you’re there in over an hour.
What are the qualities of an ideal lunch companion?
A good Long Lunch depends on whether the person across from you can carry a conversation — tell a story, actually know something about the world, not just their own corner of it. And whether they’re kind to whoever’s serving them. A whiner who’s rude to the staff kills the whole lunch. Check, please.
And who was your companion at Arlington?
My friend Harsch Kumar Sood — art advisor, curator, Chair of Photo London’s Young Collectors Circle — has the kind of taste and mischief that makes for a great friend and an equally good lunch companion. We met five years ago on a trip to Provence, and we’ve been friends ever since. At this particular lunch, he sent a glass of champagne to a well-suited man across the room and told him it was from me. But that’s Harsch. Keeps things interesting.
What did you eat and drink today, and why?
I had the seared scallop with harissa butter to start, and the lobster thermidor soufflé with green salad. I am on vacation after all. I even had a glass of Sancerre. I’ve had a thousand lobster thermidors in my day, but I’ve never had one quite like this. I only wish I could’ve finished it.
Tell us about your favorite Long Lunch of all time.
I’ve had a lot of very good Long Lunches in a lot of extraordinary locations. Picking one would mean lying about the others.
If you could Long-Lunch with absolutely anyone on the planet — no offence to Harsch — who would it be?
Donna Tartt or Warren Buffett.
On the days that you are Long-Lunching, do you dress differently?
How so?
Overdressed is my baseline, so a Long Lunch doesn’t move the needle much. But I do think about where I’m going and who I’ll be with when I’m picking out an outfit in the morning.
Would you mind sharing some details about what you wore to Arlington?
A silk Gucci blouse and skirt, Castañer Chiara espadrilles in sand, vintage beaten pearl and gold earrings, a peridot and diamond ring from my paternal grandmother, and my maternal grandmother’s wedding ring.
What is your favorite time of year (or weather) in which to enjoy a Long Lunch?
Late spring or early fall. Warm enough to sit outside, before or after the point where you’re melting by the second course.
The best day of the week for a Long Lunch is….?
Whenever I’m not on deadline. Or, alternately, when I have so many that I’ve given up on all of them at once.
Do you have any other thoughts about Long Lunches?
We’ve built an entire culture around not wasting time, and I think that’s exactly why the Long Lunch feels almost rebellious now.
CARSON’S DOSSIER
Birthplace: Sewickley, a little-known Pennsylvania village immortalized in The Official Preppy Handbook, where hunt country begins at the edge of town.
Neighborhood: Manhattan’s West Village. (Once beloved. Now it feels like TikTok with brownstones. Time to move…)
Lunch strategy (i.e. when not at Arlington): Anywhere that doesn’t try to turn the table twice.
Cocktail: I’m not a huge drinker, but I will have a glass of good wine here and there. I prefer Sancerre or White Burgundy, but cannot stand traditional Chardonnay.
Workout: Swimming (preferably in the ocean) and tennis. Being left-handed has its advantages.
Bookshop: Albertine for aesthetics, Argosy for substance.
Current projects: I have a newsletter I started on a whim called Rich People Shit, or RPS to the people who read it, that has grown faster than I ever expected. It’s about wealth, taste, access, and the unspoken systems that determine who has them. It’s a fun read, and worth signing up for, even if you stick with the free version. I get to be a little cheekier there than I am in my other work. I also have upcoming bylines in the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Financial Times, and a few other places.
Any cultural recommendations for us? The Hamptons Fine Art Fair, running this weekend, is a great mix of everything. If you can’t make it yourself, send a friend with a good eye to scout for you.
