Sunday, October 5, 2008
Restaurants Where do Barack and Michelle eat?
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 4:16 PM
NPR tracked down Barack Obama's favorite Chicago restaurant today and interviewed the owner/chef.
The restaurant is Topolobampo, which chef Rick Bayless opened in 1989 after opening Frontera Grill two years earlier. Before getting into the restaurant business, Bayless was a PhD student in anthropological linguistics. His research took him to Mexico. He realized he was more interested in the food than anything else about Mexican culture, so he dropped out of his program to become a full-time chef.
Bayless' restaurants, according to NPR, are the first in America to feature gourmet Mexican cooking. Maybe. I was eating gourmet Mexican fare at restaurants in which Diana Kennedy was involved in Austin and Houston just over 20 years ago. But Bayless, who has written a handful of cookbooks, is definitely among the pioneers.
NPR poses the question whether we can conclude anything about Obama because of what he likes to eat. They don't really answer the question, but Bayless does note that Obama and wife Michelle experiment with the menu, take their time eating and have recently moved to a less conspicuous table in the rear of the restaurant. Undoubtedly, those who revile Obama as an elitist for his arugula consumption will likewise wonder why he's not content with enchiladas and chimichangas.
You can listen to the piece and get some recipes here. Next week, John McCain's palate will be on display.
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Because if he didn't it would make him a skinny elitist or if it would prove he's a Muslim? Kosher vegan elitist skinny Muslim?
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