Chefs Across the Country Bid Adieu to President Obama

As Washington D.C. gears up for Inauguration Day festivities and protests galore, people across the country are bidding adieu to President Barack Obama — including plenty of chefs.

Whether they had a chance to cook for him personally or simply admired the POTUS and his policies from afar, many have taken to social media over the past week to pay tribute to Obama as he prepares to exit stage left — and, in some cases, to express fear, dismay, or disbelief about the impending swearing-in of President Donald Trump.

Culinary icon Jacques Pépin fondly remembers feeding POTUS. Back in 2010, he cooked at a Democratic fundraiser dinner in New York City along with chocolatier extraordinaire Jacques Torres and International Culinary Center dean/former Lutéce chef and owner André Soltner:

Chef and current Donald Trump nemesis José Andrés, who recently received a National Humanities Medal from President Obama, gives thanks to POTUS and FLOTUS for their service:

Italian superchef Mario Batali, who cooked for the Obamas’ final state dinner back in October, pays homage with a photo from the momentous occasion:

Chef and Fresh Off the Boat author Eddie Huang reminds us all that he’s an Obama fan from way back:

TV chef and owner of Harlem’s Red Rooster Marcus Samuelsson remembers cooking for POTUS and FLOTUS, writing on Facebook last week, “Last night's Farewell Speech by Barack Obama was incredibly inspiring... I thank him and Michelle Obama for their service, leadership, and setting a new standard for us all to aspire to.”

Top Chef alum and The Chew co-host Carla Hall says goodbye to Obama following his farewell address in Chicago:

Chef Michael Mina fondly remembers cooking for President Obama:

Seemingly feeling pessimistic about the transfer of power to come, Pok Pok chef Andy Ricker is comforting himself with Vietnamese duck noodle soup:

Philly chef Marc Vetri apparently has a doppelganger in the Secret Service:

Chef Christopher Kostow from Napa’s acclaimed The Restaurant at Meadowood is thankful:

Chef Daniel Patterson of SF’s Coi and do-gooder fast-food restaurant Locol attended Obama’s farewell speech in Chicago:

Chef Richie Nakano remembers that time Obama reached over the sneeze guard at Chipotle:

Top Atlanta bartender Paul Calvert is worried about what the next four years will bring but ends on a positive note:

Chef Yoni Levy of San Francisco’s Outerlands gives POTUS a rainbow shoutout:

The owner of Tacolicious in SF remembers POTUS’s fondness for tacos:

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