TOP TOQUE: Cook-off for the White House Kitchen
Sure, the President-elect will name a new Treasury Secretary and National Security Advisor, but the foodservice world wants to know if the Obamas will bring a new chef with them to the White House. R&I looks at the favorites for the job--and asks readers for their suggestions for Top Toque.
-- Restaurants and Institutions, 11/13/2008 1:14:00 PM
Let R&I know who you'd like to see as White House Executive Chef.
The Job: White House Executive Chef
According to Wikipedia: The White House Executive Chef is responsible for the planning, managing and preparing of all menus and meals for the First Family and their private entertaining, and official state functions at the White House.- The Executive Chef heads the three White House kitchens, a staff of four sous-chefs, and reports directly to the Chief Usher.
- The Executive Chef serves at the First Lady's pleasure and is appointed, or reappointed, by each administration.
- The Executive Chef holds no purview over any of the desserts or pastries served at the White House. The Executive Pastry Chef operates as a separate entity, but coordinates with the Executive Chef for all meals and events.
Current White House Executive Chef
Google "White House chef" and coming in at No. 1 is Chef Walter S. Scheib III, with link to his official White House Biography. Trouble is that Scheib, after serving as White House Executive Chef from 1994, was removed by First Lady Laura Bush in February 2005. - After a six-month search, and at the urging of women chefs and operators, Scheib was replaced by Cristeta "Cris" Comerford (r.), the current White House Executive Chef. (Read about the ’05 “Cook-off for the White House Kitchen” at the Washington Post.)
Top Contenders
Chef Rick Bayless, owner
Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, Chicago
Writes Chicago Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel:Rick Bayless' name gets bounced around because the Obamas have been regular visitors to Topolobampo. But Bayless publicist Jen Fite said the chef had not been contacted. "It's certainly a nice rumor," she said. But Bayless shares the same problem as Trotter in that he is his restaurant, and it's hard to imagine Frontera Grill and Topolobampo operating in his absence. And Bayless might not relish uprooting his family to move to D.C."
R&I Editor-in-Chief recently interviewed Bayless, asking the chef to suggest an inauguration menu for his frequent guests, Michelle and Barack Obama.
Chef Art Smith, owner
Table Fifty-Two, ChicagoAccording to Jo Piazza in the New York Daily News:
Smith prepared Obama's meal at Oprah Winfrey's star-studded fund-raiser for the candidate at her home. He has won two James Beard Foundation Awards and has cooked for former Florida governors Bob Graham and Jeb Bush.
Current Job: Winfrey's personal chef for the past decade.
Signature Style: Smith is a proponent of organic foods and fresh local fruits and vegetables. His signature dish is pistachio-crusted chicken breast with coconut-ginger-chili sauce, lo mein noodles and string vegetables.
Chef Daniel Young
Former personal chef to Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony
John Romero on myfoxcolorado.com reported:
Chef Daniel Young cooked for President-elect Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Young says he'd be a good pick for White House chef, as the future president is known to favor healthier, organic foods, and Young has primarily worked with performance athletes, like Carmello Anthony. Young was formerly Anthony's personal chef. He says he's learned how to cook for high energy people, who are often on the road.
"I've been focusing my career on nutrition and health and how to eat right, and this is probably the first president who's focusing on health, how to eat right," he says.
Let R&I know who you'd like to see as White House Executive Chef.
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