You are what you eat, right? So it makes sense that the rich don't eat like the rest of us, with their caviar, their Cristal and whatever else they've taken a liking to since 1988. (I've seriously got to stop basing impressions of "the rich" on Troop Beverly Hills.)

It's interesting though that the recent economic downtown that heralded the end of the decade of glam excess has more or less spared food. Whether by choice or by design, the current atmosphere that brought back depression-era DIY hobbies, the invention of Groupon and the rise of the frugalista hasn't made a dent in foodie culture.

Who better to cement this rise than Gilt Groupe, which reinvented online shopping sales for clothes, jewelry, and home furnishings by making everyone a member and putting a time limit on the deals, successfully turning browsing for heels into girl-on-girl warfare as the best sizes and colors get snapped up and the timer on your shopping cart counts down.

Gilt Taste, which launched last Thursday, is different. First of all, there is the "stories" section, filled with thoughtful essays by the likes of Ruth Reichl and Francis Lam. There's food photography that I do not recommend gazing at on an empty stomach. There are plenty of recipes too, which of course neatly complement the featured items for sale, like jumbo white asparagus and Maine lobster.

According to Reichl, Gilt Taste offers an exciting new avenue for food journalism, one that's not dependent on advertisers but instead supported entirely by sales.

But Gilt Taste also distinguishes itself by not catering to the sale mentality of the rest of the site. There are no markdowns, no discounts, no 36-hour flash sales. If you were to buy the Lady M Mille Crepes Cake from Gilt Taste, you'd pay the same $75 as you would ordering it from the Lady M Confections website, with roughly the same shipping costs (which are considerable).

Obviously there's long been a market for premium foods shipped to your door — quick, what is Omaha known for? — but unlike Omaha Steak or Harry & David, Gilt Taste is clear that it is just a vendor. And while Mangalitsa ham ($549), Hama Hama oysters ($30 for two dozen) and Payard Chocolate Truffles ($45) may not be available at Central Market or Kroger, a Houstonian could do pretty well at Revival Market, Louisiana Foods and Chocolate du Monde.

And while I make no claims to be the best locavore in town, it does seem a bit incongruous to sell the foodies that have created the SLGT movement on products shipped in from around the country. Gilt Taste isn't just ignoring that mode of foodie thought — it's actively giving it the middle finger.

I'm curious whether Gilt Taste can become a foodie version of Etsy, where the best artisans and vendors from around the country can increase their brand recognition and sales by buying in — that would be pretty cool.

What do you think of Gilt Taste? Will you be following it for the writing or are there products on your wish list?