Monday, June 1, 2009

Throwing salt

God forbid someone ever scrutinize my predilections when it comes to food - I don't eat pork; I don't drink soda; and I can't get enough of roaming the aisles of Whole Foods. No such luck for President Obama:

During the 2008 campaign Mr. Obama sometimes came across — and was often portrayed — as someone almost joylessly disciplined and restrained around food, and that discipline and restraint went hand in hand with an unflappability that, on occasions, made it difficult for him to connect.

It would have been fun to see the president contradict that impression and play against type when he and the first lady sat down to dinner in New York. It would have been interesting to watch him bust loose and reach for something rich, messy, decadent, gluttonous: a plate of fatty lamb ribs at Resto; some pâtés and terrines at Bar Boulud; one of the offal dishes at Babbo; that killer bone-in New York strip at Minetta Tavern; the oyster pan roast at the John Dory . . .

Sheesh. Between arugula and orange juice and fancy pants mustard, our president never seems to get it right.

Will someone hand me a right wing-approved menu, so I can know what the Real Amurikins are out there serving for dinner?

Also, I can't afford to eat at any of the aforementioned places.

h/t Atrios

4 comments:

maria said...

i read this on nyt site and commented there.

unbearably prissy column. also failed to note his dc burger run the day before.

blackink said...

Basically. Bruni's piece seemed unusually haughty for a political writer, eh? Obama just can't win.

Believe it or not, Chris Matthews had a great segment last night about RNC criticism of the Obamas' night out on the town. Apparently, Steele and Co. have completely given up on being taken seriously.

maria said...

joel--frank bruni is the post's restaurant reviewer--and he's leaving anyway...

blackink said...

Wait a minute: Really? But didn't Bruni used to cover politics? I thought he was assigned to Capitol Hill or some presidential campaigns in his recent past?

And who is this Joel that you speak of?