Bayless Headed To the White House

Bayless Headed To the White House

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

chef-rick-bayless-lgAs the New York Times reported this morning, Chicago’s “Top Chef Master” and Authentic Mexican food ambassador Rick Bayless is headed to the White House next week to cook the Obama administration’s second state dinner for visiting Mexican President Felipe Calderón on May 19.

Dinner for 200 will be a challenge for the veteran, since he can’t make anything ahead of time and ship it frozen (security concerns, and all). In that case, Bayless will fly back from L.A. on Sunday morning (where he’s opening his first restaurant outside of Chicago Red O), prep on Sunday, then fly out to‚ D.C. first-thing Monday morning, according to his publicist Jennifer Fite, where he’ll have to create just about everything there, on-site. “It’s a little crazy right now,” Fite told me by phone from L.A.