Food is increasingly a key element of the city and of city life. Ever at the cutting-edge of trends that are reshaping the city, Chicago Mayor Rich Daley has become the No. 1 ambassador for the city’s world-class food scene, according to this report in The New York Times.
The mayor’s pride in Chicago’s growing stature in the world of haute cuisine was on display again this week. After Mr. Daley spent much of last week in Idaho at a conference of the nation’s news media moguls, his next two public appearances in Chicago involved promoting the local gastronomy scene
The mayor made a stop at the French Pastry School on Monday to promote its expansion into new teaching kitchens at the City Colleges of Chicago. The school’s chefs had recently visited City Hall to present the mayor with a chocolate replica of the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup trophy. The mayor beamed below the brim of a tall chef’s hat” … “He’s the best cheerleader for the industry that anybody could ask for,” said Sheila O’Grady, the mayor’s former chief of staff who is now president of the Illinois Restaurant Association.”
Money quote: “These chefs, to me, represent the creative class of society,” Mr. Daley said. “We have to realize how important they are to the city.”
