RFK Jr Steals Michelle Obama’s Food Playbook with Top Chef's Spike Mendelsohn

Summary

The Tara Palmeri Show

Episode: “RFK Jr Steals Michelle Obama’s Food Playbook with Top Chef's Spike Mendelsohn”
Date: November 30, 2025
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Spike Mendelsohn (Celebrity Chef, restaurateur, and former Top Chef contestant)

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Overview

In this episode, Tara Palmeri explores the intriguing intersection of politics, policy, and the Washington, D.C. food scene with acclaimed chef Spike Mendelsohn. They unpack how each administration leaves its mark on D.C.’s restaurants, the evolution from the Obama to Trump to Kennedy years, and how food policy is both a symbol and a tool of political influence. A special focus is placed on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent moves to adopt food reforms reminiscent of Michelle Obama’s wellness agenda, highlighting surprising ideological shifts and the real-world implications for restaurateurs and consumers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Obama Effect: Transforming D.C.'s Food Culture

• Spike’s Arrival & D.C.’s "Stodgy" Scene:
  Tara recalls how Spike and other young chefs energized a once “stodgy” Washington food scene that was “just old ebbing [grill]...mid Atlantic bistro fare” ([02:35]).
• Rise of Eclectic Dining:
  The Obama administration’s fondness for diverse restaurants created a more vibrant food scene. “They really leaned into the city...supporting small businesses, celebrating all sorts of different restaurants...” (Spike, [06:48]).
• Entrepreneurial Boom:
  The influx of young entrepreneurs, spurred in part by Obama’s approachability, led to a rejuvenated local industry.

2. Politics at the Table: How Administrations Shape Eating Habits

• Steakhouse Republicans vs. Trendy Democrats:
  Tara and Spike discuss how restaurant choices among politicos mirror party lines—Republicans flock to steakhouses; Democrats opt for trendier, diverse spots ([05:24], [06:44]).

  “When the Republican administration’s here, the defense budget goes up...That usually leans to steakhouse vibes...when the Democratic administration is in power...those tend to be more trendy, a little bit more fast casual, a little bit more ethnic restaurants.” (Spike, [07:20])

• Physical and Cultural Transformation:
  The example of Butterworth (a former Capitol Hill pub now a MAGA hotspot serving caviar and duck lard) illustrates shifting tastes and the symbolic meaning of food among political cliques ([09:43]).

3. Navigating Trends: From Plant-Based to Food Dyes

• Keeping Up with Dietary Shifts:
  Spike describes how he adapts to changing consumer trends, from almond milk and gluten-free pastas to opening PLNT Burger, his plant-based fast-casual concept ([05:26], [12:23]).
• Happy Hour as a Political Barometer:
  “It’s just interesting to see how the happy hour vibe changes on Capitol Hill...leaning into Republican sayings or what have you.” (Spike, [12:58])

4. From Michelle Obama to RFK Jr.: Food Policy Déjà Vu

• Republican Resistance, Then Embrace:
  Tara observes how Michelle Obama was once ridiculed for her healthy eating campaign, yet RFK Jr. is now pushing similar reforms, with far less partisan backlash ([18:17]).
• Policy Details:
  RFK Jr., as Health and Human Services Secretary, aims to ban petroleum-based food dyes found in thousands of U.S. foods.

  “Food dyes are not great...in Canada, our Fruit Loops look a lot more ordinary than the American Fruit Loops...” (Spike, [20:00])

• Spike’s Crossover Role:
  Spike, who worked closely with Michelle Obama, now consults with the Kennedy team, highlighting continuity amid changing political winds ([19:20]).

5. The Cost of Cleaner Food

• Price Implications:
  Tara asks about the potential increase in food costs when switching to natural ingredients and eliminating dyes and seed oils ([22:55]).
• Spike’s Supply Chain Reality Check:
  “With tariffs, we have to look at every single tariff and see how much we’re being affected...we are, the price for a lot of our ingredients are going up substantially...” (Spike, [24:08])
• Winners & Losers:
  He notes restaurants focused on fresh food may feel less pinch than consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and candy makers reliant on food dyes ([26:20]).

6. Political Burgers and Cheeky Campaigns

• Election-Themed Dishes:
  Spike’s restaurants created menu items like the Obama Burger and “Michelle Melt” and hosted “burger elections” where diners could ‘vote’ with their orders.

  “People were coming and ordering it and making sure that we got the vote right...‘Hey, I’m having the Obama Burger. That’s a vote for Obama.’” (Spike, [16:28])

• Staying Neutral:
  Recent years’ polarization has forced restaurants to tread carefully; Spike now offers a “Prez Burger” without naming names to avoid controversy ([17:41]).

7. Food as a Unifier—and a Right

• The Table as Common Ground:
  Spike stresses that, despite political divides, his aim is “celebrating coming together to have important conversations” ([17:05]).

  “We often treat food as a privilege here in the United States, but it should be treated much more as a basic human right. And that’s kind of what I strive for.” (Spike, [28:53])

8. Memorable White House Anecdotes

• Weirdest White House Order:

  “It was Jared Kushner’s order. He has basically the same thing every day for lunch. He has basically a PF Chang’s version of a Mandarin spinach salad...” (Spike, [27:22])
  The chefs were in disbelief when preparing this plain order during a formal White House event.

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Obama Changing D.C. Food:

  “You saw [the Obamas] going out and about, supporting small businesses, celebrating all sorts of different restaurants...”
  —Spike Mendelsohn ([06:44])

• On Food Policy Coming Full Circle:

  “It’s funny how they came after [Michelle Obama] back then about it and now less so with RFK in the midst. But for me, as long as the job’s moving forward...that’s what I really care about.”
  —Spike Mendelsohn ([21:30])

• On Price Pressures:

  “We are, you know, the price for a lot of our ingredients are going up substantially, and...we have to look at every single tariff and see how much we’re being affected.”
  —Spike Mendelsohn ([24:08])

• Philosophy of Food:

  “We often treat food as a privilege here in the United States, but it should be treated much more as a basic human right.”
  —Spike Mendelsohn ([28:53])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• D.C. Food Scene Transformation & Spike’s Early Years - [03:11]–[05:20]
• Political Parties’ Dining Preferences - [05:20]–[06:44]
• Obama vs. Trump Era Shifts - [06:44]–[09:03]
• Butterworth: MAGA Bistro on the Hill - [09:03]–[10:44]
• Trends & Happy Hour Politics - [12:23]–[14:02]
• Family Business & the American Dream - [14:02]–[15:57]
• Election-Themed Burgers & Neutrality - [15:57]–[17:41]
• Transition from Michelle Obama to RFK Jr. Food Policy - [18:17]–[22:22]
• Impact of Ingredient Costs & Tariffs - [22:55]–[27:17]
• Weirdest White House Order Story - [27:17]
• Spike’s Food-as-a-Right Philosophy - [28:53]

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Episode Takeaways

• Every administration puts its own flavor—literally and figuratively—on Washington’s foodscape, serving as a microcosm for national trends and cultural rifts.
• As policies cycle from partisan flashpoints to bipartisan consensus (or indifference), figures like Spike Mendelsohn bridge the worlds of policy, entrepreneurship, and the everyday ritual of sharing a meal.
• Food isn’t just about sustenance; in D.C., it’s about identity, message, and even quiet resistance (or complicity) with shifting tides of power.

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This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how food, politics, and culture quietly but powerfully influence each other beyond the headlines.

Transcript

[A]

It's that time of year again when you start arranging pumpkins on the stoop, try out a new cranberry sauce recipe, and plan out a tablescape that'll outdo last year's. In other words, it's when you break out all your DIY holiday skills. And now ADT is making it easy to DIY your home security, too. Their systems aren't just simple to set up, they also fit within your budget. So get excited for your next project because your peace of mind just went DIY. Visit ADT.com or call 1-800-ADT A ASAP. When every second counts, count on ADT. Welcome back to the Tara Palmieri Show. Everything in Washington is political, even food. Every administration puts their stamp on the food scene in the city, often reflecting the tastes of the administration. For example, President Trump loves a hamburger and steak, while President Obama preferred a more eclectic cuisine. And you saw more of them around the city. My next guest, Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn, owns A number of D.C. restaurants on Capitol Hill, so he understands how power and food go hand in hand better than anyone else. He made his name during the Obama years when he worked on a number of healthy food initiatives with Michelle Obama. At the time, conservatives on the right mocked her for being a nanny and going after comfort foods like fried foods. Now the right seems to be eating their own words, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Looking to clean up the food industry himself. And he's espousing some of the same beliefs as Michelle Obama. And he may even be looking to my next guest for some help. Take a listen to the episode A Mochi Moment from Sadie who writes, I'm not crying, you're crying. This is what I said during my first appointment with my physician at Mochi because I didn't have to convince him I needed a GLP one. He understood and I felt supported, not judged. I came for the weight loss and stayed for the empathy. Thanks, Sadie. I'm Mayra Amit, founder of Mochi Health. To find your Mochi moment, visit join mochi.com Sadie is a Mochi member, compensated for her story. Thanks so much for joining Spike. I've got to say that I first really became aware of you during the Obama years. I'm not a huge like foodie, top Chef watcher, but I, you know, obviously I'm in awe that you made it to the finals of the show. But I, you know, I became aware of you through the food scene during the the Obama years. When I was a young reporter and suddenly there were all of these new exciting places to eat around town. Like Good Stuff Eatery. We the people. We the pizza. I'm sorry. We the pizza. Another one of your places in the hill. On the hill. And it was just like before that Washington was so stodgy. Like there was just, there was nowhere to go to eat. It was just like old ebbing where you can get late night oyster shooters, which is great, but like, it was the same old, like mid Atlantic bistro fare. And it felt like pub scene. And I think the whole crew of new young chefs like yourself changed Washington.

[B]

Yeah, well, first of all, thank you. Thank you for saying that. And I actually, I remember getting in trouble the first year in D.C. you know, I was like a hot chef coming, hot headed chef coming from New York City. I wasn't calling myself hot, just to be clear there. And, you know, we, you know, and I had just been right off a Top Chef, so I had this national marketing and PR and appeal. And I remember being quoted in D.C. i was like, oh, like, you know, people are asking me, why'd you move to dc? I was like, oh, it's great to be, you know, a big fish in a small pond. And D.C. really didn't take too well to that comment. It was kind of funny, but it was so, so true. Right back then there were a few chefs paving the way for other chefs, but there wasn't that young ambitious chef coming to make their, their, their mark in D.C. in the food scene at the time. And, and so I was really happy just to be part of that, you know. And now, you know, I could, I'm, I could say 15 years later, I think D.C. is one of the, you know, the culinary destinations of the world. You have chefs from all over the world opening up restaurants here, from, you know, fast casual restaurants to fine dining Michelin restaurants. So, yeah, the scene's huge. And, you know, it was an honor. You know, as you mentioned, my restaurants are in Capitol Hill, so I, I can, I'm literally, you know, blocks away from the Capitol. And so for, for me, leaning into the political, political scene was something new and different. And I didn't really know how to navigate it too much, but over the years, became something that really became part of our brands, actually. And, and so, yeah, it's been, it's been great over here.

[A]

I mean, you can't avoid it. We, the pizza, I mean, it's, it's there and you're serving people from both sides of the aisle, I'm sure. But yeah, I I noticed this as well because, like, I'll meet with sources, members of Congress, you know, and they pick usually where they want to go. And, like, I tend to see a lot more Republicans at steakhouses, and I see Democrats at, like, different types of restaurants. Maybe more like a continental cuisine or I rarely go to, like, vegan places. Although I know you recently opened a vegan restaurant, Plant.

[B]

So it's called. It's P, L and T burger. So Plant Burger, basically.

[A]

And.

[B]

And they're inside Whole Foods, so we have about 11 locations. They're all inside Whole Foods. They're spread out throughout the dmv. It is my sustainable burger brand. And compared to the other burger brand I have, which is good stuff eatery, which is more traditional. But yeah, so, you know, I'd like to. I like to feed people, Tara. That's basically what I do. And I don't really, you know, I don't care what your dietary restrictions are or, you know, I like just to be able to feed all different facets of people. And that's why, for me, D.C. has been a really great place to make my career. And, you know, you're right. Like, with, you know, it's all, you know, we were talking about this a little bit at the party. There's always a little bit of a shift when the administration kind of changes in the D.C. area from whether it's Republican or Democratic at the time one way or the other. And I wouldn't say it has like a, you know, a drastic effect on the food scene, but there are some subtle and interesting ways it does kind of penetrate, you know, based on, like, the clientele or the spending habits, for instance, or even some of the event culture that you have over here. So it's always. It's always kind of interesting to see what happens, you know.

[A]

Okay, so tell me, what was this change like between the Obama years and Trump 1.0 for you in terms of the food scene?

[B]

Oh, I mean, you know. Well, one, let's just. Let's just take it at, you know, you know, when Obama and. And the rest of the family came in, came into power here, they. They really leaned into the city, Tara. Like, you saw them going out and about supporting small businesses, celebrating all sorts of different restaurants, whether fast casuals or little corner stores, or they were fine dining restaurants. And I think that's one thing that really Bench Chili Bowl. Exactly. I think that's what really, you know, revived the dining scene in D.C. because you had a slew of entrepreneurs, whether people were into music, you Just had a young breed of entrepreneurs coming to the city, and a lot of those were in and around food. And so for me, it really kind of escalated the food scene and made it very interesting. I even remember after the bailout, Obama came to celebrate a good stuff eatery over burgers, Right? And it was like one of our greatest headlines is like, Obama comes, celebrates. So it's just interesting how being DC A small business restaurant really opens itself to that kind of political climate there. But I would say the shift. We could talk about the shift. You know, I'd say historically, really, like when the Republican administration's here, the defense budget goes up. The energy, there's a lot more energy. Money spent on energy. And that usually leans to steakhouse vibes is what I call it. Right. Where people are. You mentioned it right before, right. Where restaurants like Charlie Palmer's might have some of their best years. Or the Capital Grill for an instant. Yes, exactly. The Monocle. Right. So just restaurants like that seem to thrive in that environment. Right. And then when the Democratic administration is in power, right, you have more activity in and around, like the NGOs, right. You have environmental groups, you have a lot of tech focus groups, and those tend to be lean, a little bit more trendy, a little bit more fast casual, a little bit more ethnic restaurants. And so, you know, you know, you can name like Ambar or Roses, Luxury, if you, you know, or little. Even little pear. So it's interesting how that kind of shifts to a certain degree.

[A]

So, yeah, you're right. I mean, thinking about it, too, like, it would be. It would be really hard to get a table at one of those restaurants during Democratic year. And then it kind of feels like a ghost town sometimes when it switches in a weird way. What's hot during that time? Because you're kind of also, I mean, at least as a journalist, too, you're kind of also going to like, sightseeing. I mean, there's this new place on Capitol Hill which I'm sure you're aware of, Butterworth, which was, you know, which was just like a pub before that. Which. What was the name of the pub before it? I can't remember.

[B]

I think it was the Haagen Dove, actually. Right.

[A]

Or the Hawk and.

[B]

Yeah, the Haagen Dove. Yeah. So the Hawk and.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So it was like a traditional, like, hacks and flax kind of like pub on Capitol Hill. And now Steve Bannon's crew has pretty much taken it over. And there's always black cars outside. And I saw Marco Rubio come in there for a party the other day. They throw parties there. And it's a, it's a British guy named Raheem Kassam who worked for Nigel Farage, who obviously led the UKIP movement, the Brexit movement in, in the uk. And like, he's trying to show like a more rarefied form of maga, not just like a meat and potatoes. So he was saying to me, oh, well, we have caviar on the menu and we have duck lard and he's bringing like, kind of some like bistro, French bistro, a little bit of British influence, picture of the queen on the wall. But I mean, these people had expensive taste too. Like, I mean, you know, so I don't think it's that surprising. But that's the most I've really seen that crowd lean into kind of a more, I guess you could say, international cuisine.

[B]

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[A]

Yeah, but it happens.

[B]

Yeah, it has been very interesting to see my. I used to have a bistro right next door to that restaurant. It was called Bernays and it was the complete opposite. Right. It was like very much that, you know, the place where Democrats came to eat and enjoy their, their steak and their frites and a little trendy bistro vibes. And so I remember serving all sorts of people from, from Congress and from that party. So just interesting to see how it changes. You know, for me, it's a little bit more of a shock and awe than maybe the rest, rest. Rest of some of the businesses in D.C. because I am right on Capitol Hills. And so we really depend on everybody, you know, even, you know, everyone that's working and you know, even the younger people that are into it, they just, you know, we have their lunch period. So we see a drastic change. It almost feels like kind of overnight, you know.

[A]

Yeah, I wonder too. Like, you know, when food is trendy, like, how much do you feel like you have to catch up with that? Like, you know, for example, I mean, it's not really trendy to have almond milk, but like kind of is now. Right. Or to have alternatives to cheese or, you know, gluten. The gluten free pasta feels old now, but what are they using now? Like, what is it? It's like a hummus based pasta. No, it's not hummus. It's chickpea pasta.

[B]

You know what I mean? Like, do you feel like.

[A]

Yeah, like do you feel like compelled to have to keep up with these trends or do you think it's sort of.

[B]

Well, again, like, I think right now with, you know, the, the political climate in the D.C. i think you're, you're less into maybe following those exact trends. Right. And maybe following some other things. You know, what I think is interesting to see how. Yeah. On Capital is just like how happy hour changes. Right. So it's just, you know, you can, you know, there's just, you know, they lean into all sorts of different branding and it may be, you know, different ways, you know, different specials that lean into Republican sayings or what have you. And it's just interesting to see how the happy hour vibe changes on Capitol Hill because historically, you know, we've had pretty political driven bars up and down Capitol Hill. Like whether it was the tune in the Haagen Da or, you know, a couple different establishments here is always kind of the watering hole. So.

[A]

Right. And they, and they tend to be segregated, honestly, like based on your, on your party, right? Would you say?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, you're Canadian too. Are you American? Are you American now? But you were born in Canada, right?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I have dual citizenship. I was born in Montreal, which is right. Very, you know, it was very different from even the rest of Canada, obviously, because it's in Quebec. But. Yeah, so I'm from, I'm from Montreal and. Yeah. But, but you know, I'm kind of living the American dream. I, you know, we, we always looked at the United States and as, as a place to, you know, to have opportunity. And you know, when, you know, we have these restaurants at Capital are family business, so they're made up of my mother, my sister and my father. And yeah, it's. Maybe people don't realize that, but they very much. You know, I usually get most of the credit for everything that's going on, because I'm the one marketing the brands. But, yeah, it's. We're a family affair with, like, living kind of the American dream on Capitol Hill, like, opening up our restaurants here and being successful. And. Yeah, we never thought we'd be, you know, you know, part of the shift of political parties in D.C. but we really are part of it. You know, I remember. Yeah, we. We like to call them our golden good stuff years during the Obama administration, because we were able to do so much in the city, you know, where we get invited to the Easter Egg Roll, we'd be invited to the White House to cook and showcase our. Our menus. We were very much driving the small business entrepreneur in the D.C. area. That's. That's kind of why we loved it. And. And it has been a shock with the change of administration. I think there's a lot less opportunity, you know, for that to happen. And so that's. That's basically what's happening on Capitol Hill.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, you had the President Obama Burger or Prez Obama Burger on the menu in honor of his inauguration. You also created the Michelle Melt with the White House chef, Sam Cass. Um, have you leaned into any other political figures with tributes since then?

[B]

Yeah, no. You know, we. It's kind of our thing. We, you know, every. Every cycle, we throw kind of a burger election, and we usually try to characterize the burger behind, you know, the characteristics of the. Of the candidate, whether it's a. It's a Trump or Hillary or Obama. And. And so the first one we ever did was McCain and Obama, and it went widely successful. I mean, I remember people were coming and ordering it and making sure that we got the vote right. We were like, hey, I'm having the Obama Burger. That's. That's a vote for. For Obama. Right.

[A]

Or.

[B]

Or even at times, people were coming so much to the restaurant, they were curious what the McCain burger would taste like, but they would be like, I'd like to order the McCain burger, but keep my vote for Obama. And we would update the votes every day on, you know, the front doors, and people just started enjoying it. I think. You know, for me, you know, I do a lot of food policy in the D.C. area. I worked on behalf of Mayor Bowser at the food Policy chairman and the council, and obviously, I was part of Michelle Obama's initiatives to reform food and schools and stuff.

[A]

And.

[B]

And so, to me, it's. It's something that should be, you know, nonpartisan, always, like, you know, I feel like you can always have a good conversation around the table. And so we, you know, our guests, as you would imagine, Tara, are both Republican, liberals, Democratic. They come from all different backgrounds. And so for us, we like to celebrate the conversation, right? We like to celebrate coming together to be able to have, you know, an important conversations. And, but the conversations have changed at the table. That's the interesting part of the shift. So, yeah.

[A]

Do you have a Trump burger?

[B]

We have a President Burger. Now, we don't really call it the Trump Burger, but we do have the Prez Burger burger. And yeah, that's, that's, that's kind of what we do. You know, we, again, we just try. We feel the conversation's a little bit more polarizing than it used to be right now. And so, so for us, it's kind of like we really want to stay very neutral in some of that conversation just because, again, we're in the food business and you know, we believe everybody has a right to eat. So we'll, we'll take care of the food business while others take care of political business.

[A]

You know, it's really interesting to me because, like, I remember that Michelle Obama was really mocked for her healthy food eating initiatives by Republicans, right? Like, they're like, she's, she's the Grinch who stole, you know, my Fruit Loops. Like, you know, it was just like, how dare she come in and take our vending machines away. Kids deserve their, their snacks and their cookies and this and that. And now you've got Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the health department, and he's coming in with a lot of the same policies, frankly, that Michelle Obama was pushing for. I mean, obviously not the vaccine stuff, but, you know, he's, he just said that he's planning to weigh, phase out eight petroleum based food dyes that are found in hundreds of thousands of grocery stores and foods. And I don't know, like, do you agree with this Maha movement? Do you see any value in it right now? And like, do you feel like that he's.

[B]

I absolutely do believe in, in, in that movement on making, you know, everyone a little bit healthier. And, and I think, you know, our food system has been monopolized by huge companies where, you know, driven by greed. Right. And, and that's what you're kind of even seeing. You know, everyone comes to lobby on behalf of those companies here on Capitol Hill. And I'm very much involved in it. You know, I actually just saw RFK at a hockey game and I was chatting with him you know, about his initiative. And I actually offered my hand to help. I gave him a little bit of my background. I said, listen, like, I work with the, you know, Michelle Obama's administration on doing many of these things that you guys are talking about doing right now. And. And I just said, like, are you guys using any chefs? And, you know, how can I help move. Move it forward? And he's like, hey, absolutely. You know, and I think he was very sincere in the way he was like, we want to get more chefs involved. I know Tim Love is one of my good buddies out of Texas, is getting involved a lot, a lot with the administration on trying to do that. And there is a purpose for that. I mean, food dyes are not great. Again, like, I'm the guy from Canada. Our Fruit Loops look a lot more ordinary than the American Fruit Loops look like just because of those dyes, right? Because they're out loud in Canada. So, you know, I could definitely, you know, again, like, I'm not getting behind all those policies that this administration is doing, but there are some that I really do agree with. And this is an example of one right. Where I can get behind this work and hopefully contribute to it, because I have in the past with Michelle Obama and other administrations. And you're right. You know, it's funny how they came after her back then about it and now less so with RFK in the midst. But for me, you know, just as long as the job's moving forward and we keep pushing in the right direction is what I really care about. And so, you know, I'll. I'll work with whoever is leading that up. You know, I think one huge headline and we're doing it also here on Capitol Hill is like In N out just announced an entire conversion of their food and their menu away from food dyes to be compliant with what these initiatives are. And we're doing that too at good stuff. And we have been doing it, you know, at, you know, one of the reasons Michelle Obama really loved coming to we the pizza to celebrate a lot of her, you know, a lot of the things, you know, whether it was her kids parties or her birthday or staff's parties, is we offered sodas, homemade sodas that didn't have high fructose syrup in them. Right. So, you know, we came out with that stuff 10 years ago where we eliminating dyes out of our sodas as an option for people. So, yeah, absolutely. I think it's important work and I'm looking forward to seeing if it's real, if it's going to move the needle.

[A]

If he calls you and asks you to come in.

[B]

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

[A]

You stand ready. Did you invite him to any of the restaurants?

[B]

Yeah, definitely. I invite him to cover the restaurants. While we were having our conversation, the White House called and so he had to kind of step away.

[A]

Oh, you didn't get to hear that convo, Spike?

[B]

I tried, I tried. You know, I was looking to confirm did it. Was it really the White House calling? But, but, but, yeah, you know, we'll, we'll, we'll see what happens. You know, again, I'm keeping busy and, and I'm always pushing those initiatives for in D.C. our, you know, our mayor in D.C. mayor Bowser really, really pays attention to the food system and she's really been pushing forward for healthier systems. So. And, and she's accomplished some really great work as well. So I think that's something we can be proud of.

[A]

So, so I lived in Europe for a few years and I know what it's like to not have to worry about, you know, food dyes or just assuming that, that, you know, chicken hasn't been chlorinated or that there aren't hormones in your beef and that you just kind of assume everything is biologic, organic, as they say, you know, and, and it's, and you really do feel better, like you feel healthier. I just wonder though, how much of the cost of, you know, not using these dyes and perhaps, you know, not using seed oil, which is something that RFK and the Maha movement has been. Again, how much of that cost is incurred by the restaurant and then the customers, like, it's just more expensive to make food and produce food. At ikea, your dreams can come true.

[B]

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[B]

Yeah, no, I, you know, it's an interesting question and it's one that is yet to be figured out quite yet. I mean, one would say that they are using these artificial dyes in these foods because they serve a purpose. Definitely cost wise. Right. So if they're not able to use these, the assumption would be that costs would go up and that they would pass that through to the consumers. So it's definitely something we worry about. I mean, I am experiencing it right now with a couple of different companies of mine. You know, we, you know, we have a, you know, Justice Tea, which is an iced tea company right now, and we have a global supply chain for that, that brand. We get tea from India, from China, from Mozambique, from Africa. So, and that's just our teas, let alone our free purees that come from, you know, Mexico or Colombia or Brazil. And so when you look at our supply chain, it truly is global. That's what I love about the company. But now with tariffs, we have to look at every single tariff and see how much we're being affected. And the fact is, is we really are. You know, like, we are, you know, the price for a lot of our ingredients are going up substantially, and we're forced to look at some of the different production places or eliminate certain SKUs, which are certain flavors, for instance. So, yeah, it does it definitely, I think, in CPG consumer packaged goods, it's going to have much more an effect, I think, in restaurants, less so. Because if you, you know, a restaurant's, you're serving hopefully more fresh foods, right? And other than maybe like the Coca Cola or the Pepsi, you're not really too much getting affected by these food dyes. But I definitely think it's, I think it's definitely crucial that we, we, you know, we do eliminate those. And especially when you're looking at, you know, the companies that are getting away with it are the ones that are producing candy, right? Or things that are full filled with sugar and are meant to look colorful so kids can be attracted to the product rather than, you know, having these subtle colors that aren't vibrant. And kids are like, what's this? Right? So, you know, I think, I think in that. And that to me is, is good. It's a good thing, right? Because they, you know, a lot of these things that make up America's junk food, candy or whatever, they're just, they're just not healthy. And I'm not a person about eliminating everything, but I, I would, I do strive for a better balance in people's diets where, all right, you have the Snickers or have the Skittles, but, like, make sure you have a good diet, right? Make sure, you know, if you can eliminate it, all of it, then even better, you know, I know I can. I, I gotta, I gotta have a Snickers every once in a while or something. Something junky and. But you Know, so it's about a balance, but. But price wise, I think small businesses, you know, it won't see too much effect on it. I think convenience stores and consumer packaged goods, you will see an effect on it.

[A]

Got it. What's the weirdest order you ever got from the White House?

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, the weirdest order. Yeah. I'll tell you what the weirdest order was, and it was while I was invited to cook at the White House, and it was Jared Kushner's order, actually, and it was. And he has basically the same thing every day for lunch. He has basically a P F. Chang's version of a Mandarin spinach salad is kind of what he has all the time for lunch. And, you know, here I was at the White House cooking our menu, the things that, you know, we want to showcase. And, you know, we were just executing all the tickets, right? We were just, you know, in the Navy mess, and then an order came in for the Mandarin spinach salad with balsamic dressing, and we all just kind of looked at each other and we're like, what. What? Like, what is going on here? And it's not that it's a bad thing, but it was just a awkward timing, and it was for Jared Kushner. So that's. That's. That. That's kind of caught us by surprise.

[A]

Love it.

[B]

Yeah, Love it.

[A]

Well, thank you so much for coming on the show, Spike. Love chatting food. It is a political. Everything is political. But it's always fascinating to hear. And let me know if you ever end up, you know, connecting with RFK and if you end up doing anything with him.

[B]

Yeah, definitely. We'll let you know. And I'll leave you with, like, you know, we.

[A]

We.

[B]

We often treat food as a privilege here in the United States, but it. It should be treated much more as a basic human right. And. And that's kind of what I strive for. So. So. But thanks for having me on. This is. This was fun. This is definitely a very different podcast that I'm used to being invited to, so I. I appreciate that.

[A]

Of course. I was. It was so great to see you in person and like to have that lovely meal. That was another episode of the Tara Palmeri Show. Thanks so much for tuning in. If you like this show, please rate it, subscribe, follow, share it with all of your friends. Please leave comments. If you like my reporting, you can go to tarapaulmieri.com that's T A R A P A L M E R I. You can sign up for the Red Letter. That's where you can get all of my exclusive reporting and my independent journalism straight to your inbox. It is how you can support my independent journalism. And I will keep at it, thanks to you. I want to thank my producer, Eric Abenate. I want to thank Abby Baker, who does my research and my social media. And Adam Stewart on the thumbnails. I'll be back again this week. I'm thankful for all of you. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving week and you are able to take it a little slower this holiday. Discover meaningful gifts for everyone on your list at K. Not sure where to start? Our jewelry experts are here to help you find or create the perfect gift in store or online. Book your appointment today and unwrap love this season only at K.