Pre-Inaugural Food Fun: Obama’s Conservative Chef Choice And Dangerous Hot Dog Ignorance

There’s been a lot of chatter around which celebrity chef might come to work for the Obamas’ White House. A bunch of people have suggested Rick Bayless, since the Obamas reportedly like his Chicago restaurant, Topolobampo. Some other pundit-types have suggested Bobby Flay or Emeril Lagasse because, well, who knows? Because they’re there, it seems.

But in keeping with their low-key style, the Obamas have elected to keep Cristeta Comerford as executive chef. This is a relief, because, at the risk of sounding old-fashioned, the media microscope on the White House should be focused on affairs of state, the personal habits of the first family, and sex scandals. We don’t need reporters in White House press briefings clamoring to know more about Iron Chef.

The other bit of presidential food news today centers on Barack Obama’s ignorance as to the nature of a half-smoke. Now, as a native Washingtonian (and proud resident till the ripe age of six), we were born with an innate knowledge of this hot-dog doppelganger, but not all can be so lucky, and apparently Obama asked what he did not know. (lies! our father introduced us to the half-smoke on a return visit to the nation’s capital in 2005).

There has been a little hay made of this presidential quasi-gaff, with some decrying our new president’s ignorance, and others praising his inquisitiveness and outsider status.

We’re here to do neither, but to parse the situation all the same: Yes, it is true that Obama, on a visit to Washington, D.C. staple Ben’s Chili Bowl, did not know the regional dog of the capital. He is from Chicago, after all. But he’s held federal office for four years, which means he must have lived in D.C. for at least part of that time. On the other hand, Obama eats a famously healthy diet, so he may not have happened onto a half-smoke in the course of his Washington residency.

Whatever the reason for Obama’s having to ask the question, “what’s a half-smoke,” the fact remains that in exactly one second of speech, the president-elect generated about two and a half minutes of discussion on MSNBC, a flurry of blog responses, and the ire of Bill Cosby. Now that’s how you cover the first family!

No Change Brewing in the White House Kitchen [NY Times]
Topolobampo [MenuPages]
Topolobampo [Official Site]
In Videos: Barack Obama Doesn’t Know What a Half-Smoke Is [Serious Eats/MSNBC]
Obama and the Half-Smoke [Bay Area Bites]
Ben’s Chili Bowl [MenuPages]
Ben’s Chili Bowl [Official Site]

[Photos: Chef Cristeta via The White House, Ben’s Chili Bowl via dbking/flickr]

Pre-Inaugural Food Fun: Obama’s Conservative Chef Choice And Dangerous Hot Dog