We Still Don't Know Who Will Be the New White House Executive Chef

It's only been a few days in office for President Trump, but the polarising leader has already been deep at work signing into effect a wide range of executive orders that will have ramifications on our nation for years to come. Despite all of this executive hustle, there is still no word on who will end up overseeing the White House kitchen for the duration of the Trump administration.

While incoming presidents routinely replace a high number of senior policy staff members that were put in place by the outgoing president, more often, the chefs, groundskeepers, butlers, and other staff that keep the White House running on a day-to-day basis are spared from administrational purges. CNN reports that the chefs and kitchen staff from the Obama administration—including Cristeta Comerford, the current White House executive chef—have so far stayed on board. Comerford is the first woman and Asian-American to be appointed to the position, and was the executive chef during both the Bush and Obama administrations.

That said, Trump's seeming eagerness to swap out Obama-appointed staff with replacements of his own choosing could certainly mean a new White House executive chef is on the horizon.

While First Ladies have historically made a majority of the decisions about the food served at the White House, Politico reports that there are indications Ivanka Trump could take a central role in promoting nutrition and influencing the "culinary image" of the Trump administration. An anonymous source close to Ivanka told Politico that the President's eldest daughter aims to take a hands-on role in influencing children's nutrition. "While there are no specific plans, Ivanka is very passionate about gardening and teaching kids about healthy, seasonal eating," stated the source. Both Melania and Ivanka have had their own personal chefs in the past, but it's not clear who those chefs are or if they will be brought on board to the White House.

So just who are the possible replacements being tossed around? According to The Hollywood Reporter, some big names are under consideration for the White House, but a few of these chefs seem unlikely to accept the job if offered.

First, there's Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who has had a professional relationship with Trump since 1997 and is the chef at Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York. He says, "Of course I would have a conversation with the president. But I have to focus on my restaurants and I have them globally, including in China. I would be concerned about being perceived as political.'' In any event, as reported by the International Business Times, Vongerichten donated money to both Obama and the DNC back in 2012, so there's some doubt as to whether he would be Trump's first choice.

Joe Isidori, chef and co-owner of the NYC burger joint Black Tap, also has a long history with Trump as former executive chef at the Trump Organization and at Mar-a-Lago. Both he and Vongerichten served as chefs at Trump's wedding to Melania, But Isidori, too, is disinclined to take on the White House chef role.

David Burke, though, seems eager for the job. Burke, who replaced José Andrés at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Washington when the Spanish chef backed out last year, told The Hollywood Reporter that he has big ideas, should he be tapped for the role, saying, "It could be a great learning opportunity for cooks. We could start an apprenticeship program for young chefs and get DC restaurants and hotels involved!''

Roland Mesnier, a former top pastry chef for the White House who cooked for a total of five presidents, told Vanity Fair back in April that he would be nervous about the stability of kitchen positions under Trump if he were still working at the White House. "If the Donald makes it to the White House, I think there's going to be a lot of changes," explained Mesnier, who started working at the White House for Jimmy Carter and stayed onboard until the end of George W. Bush's administration. "I think the White House as we know it and the kitchen will be totally different."

Mesnier went to say, "I would be worried for my job, that maybe my job as I know it will disappear… If the pastry chef quits, with one phone call he will have five chefs from his restaurants ready to replace him."

MUNCHIES reached out to both David Burke and Jean-Georges Vongerichten for comment, but has yet to hear back from either chef. A PR spokesperson for Isidori declined to comment on the matter, but told us: "Joe is flattered to be included in conversations regarding the position, but there have not been any further discussions about this." Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Burke told Politico that it was merely "a rumor" that he was in the running for White House executive chef, and applauded Michelle Obama's work on nutrition, stating that her focus on food, "shows her passion for nutrition, health and education through food. I hope the work continues with the new First Family."

Like many other positions in the Trump White House, the executive chef position remains very much up in the air.