PrintDid Leah Chase Do the Right Thing? Cast Your Vote Here!
Sometimes, for all the bloviating that goes on in the blogosphere, interesting, provocative stories still go relatively unnoticed. It happened last week when Kim Severson reported on the meal President Bush had in New Orleans at Dooky Chase, the legendary Creole restaurant run by Leah Chase, the 84-year-old "Queen of Creole Cuisine." According to Severson, some people in New Orleans and out took Chase to task for hosting the president for dinner and a photo op. Her crime: By agreeing to host the president, Chase was seen as somehow legitimizing and sanctioning the Bush administration's feeble efforts to rebuild New Orleans.
What hogwash!
Was it exploitative and disingenuous for Bush to have some gumbo and a photo op at Chase's restaurant, given that, according to Severson, Chase is still living in a FEMA trailer in a virtually abandoned section of the Treme neighborhood two years after Katrina hit and still hasn't reopened her restaurant? Of course it was. But exploitation and disingenuousness are built into every politician's actions, Republican, Democrat, or independent. If Chase had a dollar every time a politician of either party said or did something exploitative and disingenuous when it comes to post-Katrina New Orleans, she would have enough money to open restaurants all across the country or retire in style. Bush used Chase, and, with any luck, Chase used Bush to help get her restaurant open and her neighbors back.
Who showed dignity and class in this interaction, a transparent George W. Bush or the classy-against-all-odds, generously spirited Leah Chase, who was quoted as saying, "If I had neighbors, they'd be so surprised because they never had a president come through"? Severson reported; you decide.
Instead of taking Chase to task for serving George W. Bush some grace, humility, and gumbo, folks should head down to New Orleans, eat at Dooky Chase (if in fact the restaurant is open), have some incomparably delicious fried chicken at Chase's neighbor's restaurant, Willie Mae's Scotch House, go hear some real, honest New Orleans music at the Maple Leaf Bar, and savor the rich cultural bounty of America's most interesting (and certainly its most complicated) city.
Dooky Chase
Address: 2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans LA 70119
Phone: 504-821-0600
Willie Mae's Scotch House
Address: 2401 Saint Anne Street, New Orleans LA 70119
Phone: 504-822-9503
Maple Leaf Bar
Address: 8316 Oak Street, New Orleans LA 70118
Phone: 504-866-9359 or 504-866-5323 for recorded info
Photo from Dooky Chase
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13 Comments:
As angry as I am at the Bush Administration at their ongoing failure to help the people (as opposed to the businesses) of New Orleans, I believe that Ms. Chase did the right thing here. She is not a politician, she runs a business, a restaurant that offers fine dining to all. To expect her to endanger the future of her establishment to make a political statement is unfair. What would be appropriate, however, would be for others to point out the irony of the Bush visit, with Ms. Chase in her trailer, tens of thousands of New Orleans residents displaced from their homes, and violent crime ubchecked in the streets of the city. Ms. Chase's graciousness in the face of these realities should be commended, not condemned.
ronfrankl at 8:36AM on 09/05/07
According to ettiquette books, there is no ettiquette for turning down an invitation from a head of state. It is not something that you do.
You may, however, eat cherry tomatoes with your fingers.
aluapaluap at 9:11AM on 09/05/07
Of course it was, but exploitation and disingenuousness are built into every politician's actions, Republican, Democrat, or independent. If Leah Chase had a dollar every time a politician of either party said or did something exploitative and disingenuous when it comes to post-Katrina New Orleans she would have enough money to open Leah Chase's all across the country or retire in style.
I have no opinion about Ms. Chase's decision, but I have a serious problem with this comment. These types of "a pox on both your houses" comments are extremely lazy. Not all politicians are alike, and comments like this essentially give the worst of the lot (like Bush) a free pass.
rps at 9:51AM on 09/05/07
First, let me say I am in no way, shape, or form a Bush fan, nor am I a screaming liberal who thinks the government needs to hand out everything to the people. Ok, got that out of the way....
I applaud Leah Chase. Her story is one of many here in the big easy. Yes we still need help. No the White house has not provided as it should have. That still does not mean that we should change who WE are. New Orleanians are nothing if we are not gracious and hospitable. New Orleans is about the people and the character of the city. Katrina and it's aftermath will not define us.
syoung68 at 10:14AM on 09/05/07
alua's comment is dead on--according to Miss Manners, one may not turn down an invitation from a head of state, especially one's own. On the other hand, when someone invites himself to your home or unopened restaurant, is that the same thing? Personally, I would have turned Mr. Bush down flat and milked it for all the publicity I could get, but that's just me. And I'm a New Yorker, not a New Orleansian. We are not the hospitality people.
annien at 12:11PM on 09/05/07
It's a tough call. Left to myself, I might just spit on Mr. Bush -- but I'm not a businesswomen trying to get some face time with a man who might actually do something of substance (personally, I'm not holding my breath, but still...) for her city. I think that she did the right thing. The White House regime has screwed up everything it has gotten its greasy fingers on -- it would be nice to see some humanity there.
Stushi at 12:45PM on 09/05/07
Dear Mr. President,
On behalf of the people of New Orleans, I would be honored to host you at Dooky Chase. We'll be serving:
Oil-Poached Flounder
***
Whole-roasted Crow
***
Humble Pie
Respectfully,
Leah Chase
Phoebe Damrosch at 2:06PM on 09/05/07
OK, I'll come out and say it, I'll say the remarkably unpopular thing - it's not President Bush's fault that Katrina took out New Orleans. The blessed chef Leah Chase has been living in public supported home for TWO YEARS? How about sucking it up and getting a house of your own? You know, I'm a fat buyer from New Hampshire, but I knew over five years ago that a strong hurricane hitting New Orleans would flood the place. What was Chef Chase's problem? Why did this surprise her and so many others? Was it walking the streets and seeing the river higher than the road? Come on, people! Show some shred of intelligence!
OK, lets assume she had the brain power of a sunflower and got flooded out - why is that my problem or Bush's fault? How about the Midwest getting dumped on with blizzards - why aren't they living in Houston, complaining? How about those that got flooded this year - where is the outcry from the left to rebuild them?
Look, it's not George Bush's fault anymore than it is you fault Katrina flooded New Orleans. New Orleans is a bad idea, that's why the oldest part of the city is still dry - building under water is STUPID!!!!
mikenmolly at 9:34PM on 09/05/07
i live 50 miles north of new orleans and rode out the storm, asked for no help from anyone except my insurance agency.....heard lots of media folks saying that this type of disaster builds character.....i disagree, this type of disaster doesn't build character, it reveals it.
there are times in your life when you need to rise up on your hind legs and take care of yourself.
olddad at 9:59PM on 09/05/07
It's kind of disappointing that some of the foodies here are revealing the nasty partisanship that is the alleged birth right of coastal elites. Having a president, whether you voted for him or not, eat at your restaurant is a great honor. To use the moment for political grandstanding, to use the moment to show how much you hate the president isn't just a breach of etiquette; it's downright offensive.
JungMan at 3:21PM on 09/06/07
I thought so long about this topic that probably no one is any longer reading the comments, I understand the Ms.Manners point of view. I understand that Mrs. Chase is a business woman.
Sorry, I could not have served him a meal in New Orleans under any circumstances. Flash back to the Superdome or the Convention Center; so many people without food or water. Bush is not welcome to eat at my New Orleans table under any circumstances. It is not political: it is personal.
NO_Pam at 10:07PM on 09/06/07
I'll just add one more. Look at the comments. The one's based on logic don't blame President Bush. The one's based on feelings do. What does that say? What does that say about the average American voter? Think about it, if you can.
mikenmolly at 11:14PM on 09/06/07
Moreover what does it say about the future of our federalist system of government. I suppose separation of powers is too dry a topic to discuss over jambalaya -- not when there's an incompetent mayor to make governor.
JungMan at 4:12PM on 09/07/07