Who Said "Pesto Is The Quiche Of The 80s"?

Short answer
The phrase “Pesto is the quiche of the '80s” is said by the character Jess in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally.

Long answer
Pesto is clearly never going to be the first thing that springs to mind when you mention the 1989 rom-com-drama, When Harry Met Sally, but it does make a cameo appearance in Nora Ephron's screenplay.

Bruno Kirby’s character, Jess, is in conversation with Marie when she quotes the phrase "Restaurants are to people in the '80s what theatres were to people in the '60s." He quickly informs her that he wrote that phrase and that he also wrote "pesto is the quiche of the '80s” in New York Magazine.

We often wonder what that line would have been if the film had been made 10, 20, or 30 years later. Here's the best we've got...

1999
“Pesto is the focaccia of the '90s.”

2009
“Pesto is the avocado toast of the '00s.”

2020
“Pesto is the banana bread of 2020.”

2021
”Pesto is the plant-burger of 2021.”

2022
“Pesto is the air-fried chip of 2022.”

As for other film appearances, pesto's other Oscar-worthy moment has got to be when the characters gobble down Trenette al Pesto in the film Luca. The sauce also made its way into one of the most popular TV shows of all time, Friends, with the iconic question, "Would you say your pesto is the besto?"