Food Taster?! White House Suggests French Restaurant Is Full of Crepe
EmailThe White House today denied a recent report in French media that the president had a food "taster" in the kitchen of the "La Fontaine de Mars" restaurant, where the President and First Lady Obama dined Saturday night.
"They have someone who tastes the dishes," waiter Gabriel de Carvalho told the Itele news channel Sunday. "It wasn't very pleasant for the cooks at first, but the person was very nice and was relaxed, so it all went well."
The restaurant told the same story to the AFP.
"Once again, not true," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, who – along with his boss – has expressed exasperation with European media reports they say are just plain made up out of thin air.
(The President scolded the German media for stories about alleged tensions between him and Chancellor Angela Merkel and pushed back against French media reports that he had snubbed President Nicolas Sarkozy by declining a dinner invitation. Gibbs, meanwhile, has suggested the whole of British newspapers not credible outside of the sports pages.)
Traditionally it's fairly common for a US Secret Service agent or a White House residence valet to be in the kitchen keeping an eye on preparation, but the White House would not comment.
It’s worth noting, as Ed Morrissey has, that the British made a similar claim about a food-taster during a President Bush visit to Buckingham Palace in 2003.
-jpt
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Why would this not be true? What motivation does this cook have to lie? I would hope and expect someone is watching the food of the President. Whats the big deal?
Posted by: KR | June 8, 2009, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
“Why would this not be true? What motivation does this cook have to lie?”
In Oct on Page 6 in the NY Post it was reported that Michele Obama was dining on lobster at the Waldorf Astoria to the tune of a $400 room service tab.
The story was made up completely and Rupert Murdoch’s rag had to publish an embarrassed retraction when it was made clear that Michele Obama was nowhere near the Waldorf Astoria on the supposed day in question.
What was the point of that lie?
Posted by: Ryan C | June 8, 2009, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm
If I were Obama, I’d want a food tester as well. Why can’t the WH come clean? It’s easy: “Meals are tested prior to serving to U.S. Presidents and high level officials as a matter of protocol.” Everyone understands this.
Perhaps it is Gibbs’ and the WH knee-jerk reaction to be dishonest…
Posted by: tjp612 | June 8, 2009, 1:48 pm 1:48 pm
“What was the point of that lie?”
I don’t think you understand my point of view. I support a taste tester or food tester, whatever. This being true, to me, is a good thing. I believe we should have the highest security for our President, even in a friendly country. I would doubt these cooks go through clearance and background checks working in their establishment.
So Ryan, your comment doesn’t apply to what I am saying. I am saying, how would such a story make the President look bad? Or the Secret Service? I think it makes them look good, as in, doing their job. Why is the first reaction from Gibbs “Once again, not true”. Why is it not true when it should be? Isn’t that security procedure?
Posted by: KR | June 8, 2009, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
Food Taster?! White House Suggests French Restaurant Is Full of Crepes
=========
Ba-dum-bum
Ha!
Interesting, isn’t it? But surely there’s no taster at 5 guys, so it’s hard to know…
Posted by: MayBee | June 8, 2009, 2:04 pm 2:04 pm
What is worse..the lie or the cover-up of the lie, as was the ‘bow to the king’ denial?
If someone poisoned the President, we’d all be pissed at the Secret Service.
I believe the cooks before I believe Mr, Gibbs.
Posted by: J House | June 8, 2009, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
Gibbs first instinct is to deny. Why would the chefs lie about such a mundane thing? Its perfectly normal to expect high-level elected officials to have food tasters. Why say its not true?Maybe its a national security issue or something…
Posted by: ctay | June 8, 2009, 2:09 pm 2:09 pm
“I am saying, how would such a story make the President look bad?”
Playing coy?
Read the article about Bush, maybe presented attacking your hero will clear the mud from your eyes.
Posted by: Ryan C | June 8, 2009, 2:11 pm 2:11 pm
maybe both sides are telling the truth. maybe some guy snuck in the kitchen and said he was the president’s food taster and got a free meal. that would be pretty funny.
Posted by: e-wench | June 8, 2009, 2:18 pm 2:18 pm
“Playing coy?”
No, being completely honest. How many ways do you want me to say it? Why would anyone (besides the French cooks feeling untrust worthy for which i don’t care), have a problem with this? I expect this procedure to be in place be it Obama, Bush, or Kermit the Frog as President. Not everything is some smear conspiracy theory Ryan.
Posted by: KR | June 8, 2009, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
……in too deep
Posted by: watching | June 8, 2009, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
The SS is in charge of the president’s security. Why would it make either president look bad? Maybe it is standard procedure to deny anything involving the president’s security.
Posted by: Axey | June 8, 2009, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
Why are you
Posted by: unshrub | June 8, 2009, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
Why do you fools believe a French newspaper? It must only be out of a such desperation to criticize Obama. The French newspapers are famous for there lies. Grow up people.
Posted by: unshrub | June 8, 2009, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
The problem for the Obama administration is that given a choice of whether to belive Gibbs or some french waiter I know nothing about, I’m inclined to belive the french waiter.
Posted by: marylou | June 8, 2009, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
I agree with KR, it makes perfect sense to have the Secret Service watch over, and even taste, the food prepared for the president when he is in a foreign land (and in our country as well). I was not upset when I read the initial story, but I suspect the WH is concerned that people would read it as an example of haughty behavior or an insult to France. (even though reasonable people of any political persuasion probably saw it, as I do, as simple common sense.) So they deny it happened. I don’t know if it happened, nor do I care. But it made sense when I first heard about it. But this really is a tempest in a tea pot and I think Gibbs should have just ignored it rather than bat it down. OH, well, no big deal.
Posted by: moderate | June 8, 2009, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm
I still don’t understand why the “love” isn’t there since Obama took office? I thought the Europeans would just adore him?
Posted by: Gina | June 8, 2009, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
About 15 yrs ago my wife and I dined in a restaurant while a sittting US Pres was also having dinner just a few feet away. Now granted things can change over time, yet after the Pres had left the place talking to our waiter we were told that “no contrary to rumor there was not a food taster who tried dishes before they were served”. There was a staff member or SS Agent in the kitchen making sure nothing unusual happened but that was it.
Posted by: R Young | June 8, 2009, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
But wait, didn’t Obama go out for cheeseburgers recently? Don’t tell me they all came in the bag with bites out of them? Better check it all the way around, just in case they put poison on the *other* side.
This sounds like the way things get garbled. They positioned a secret service agent in the kitchen to make sure no one came out with a big cleaver or something, but not a food taster. Get real.
Posted by: kvetch | June 8, 2009, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
You guys are trying to say it is either the cook or the WH who is the liar. You are assuming there is actual a cook who said there was a taste tester. The French papers are notorious for making up stories about famous people with fake quotes. They probably saw a SS guy hanging around the kitchen to keep an eye on the food being prepared and created a quote that there was a taste tester.
As for the 5 guys burger run, I am sure there was a SS guy in the back making sure no one put any cleaning products in the food.
Besides, taste testing would only work for fast acting poisons, which is why they just have SS guys watching the preparation.
Posted by: Mack | June 8, 2009, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
I guess it would be a matter of national security to keep such things confidential… I would assume that there are many countermeasures when traveling abroad..including food safety..
I doubt it’s not just a .. make sure we don’t eat brains or ….. something many tourists try to avoid… Frommer’s is a good source for key food words.. but some still are cleverly disguised in the menu descriptions…
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | June 8, 2009, 5:13 pm 5:13 pm
Good grief, every head of state has at least one member of their security detail in the kitchen when they dine out. If Queen Elizabeth II dines at the White House, there is a member of her security detail in the kitchen while the meal is prepared. If Sarkozy and his wife decide to come to New York and dine at Tavern on the Green, there will be a member of his security detail that is present in the kitchen at the time the food is prepared. There was a Secret Service detail with Obama when he went to Five Guys (along with about a million reporters, camera men, sound guys, etc.)
Now, I don’t know about those security guys, but I suspect I’d get a bit hungry standing in the kitchen while a gourmet meal was being readied, so I think I might well sneak a “taste” here and there if I could. (Anybody here been in charge of carving the family Thanksgiving turkey? Tell me you didn’t pop any in your mouth before it went to the table.) Popping a bite of something in your mouth does not make you an official “Food Taster.”
As others have pointed out, only very fast acting poisons would be detected that way, so what would be the point? Heck, even food poisoning (from bacteria) takes longer to develop.
The French have had “issues” with the US for ages. Why would it surprise anyone that one of their media made out that something was other than the way it really was?
Posted by: Jaylah | June 8, 2009, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Gee, why would anyone in the media lie?
Posted by: Waiting for Gadot | June 8, 2009, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
The French have had “issues” with the US for ages.
Jaylah
ages?… well not quite, the US hasn’t been around all that long compared to many European countries…… I get your point tho’ as there no doubt is an equivalent rag like the National Enquirer or the Post in France that creates the same kind of mischief…..
I wouldn’t want to get into some stereotype about ‘the French’….
‘The French’ were instrumental in the success
of the American revolution.
Posted by: Oh Yeah | June 9, 2009, 12:48 am 12:48 am
Prince Charles requires about 30 or 40 eggs to be cooked.. in order to get the 2 or 3 that he considers.. properly prepared…
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | June 9, 2009, 7:39 am 7:39 am
Sometimes.. at a nice Parisian restaurant.. when they bring out the cheese cart, you wonder if they are trying to poison you.. very few items would get past FDA inspections..nor, as we say on this blog.. ‘pass the smell test’
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | June 9, 2009, 7:55 am 7:55 am
oops disregard below posting.
Posted by: KR | June 9, 2009, 11:28 am 11:28 am
If I were Obama, I would have a food taster travel with me everywhere.
Posted by: Linda /Michigan | June 9, 2009, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm