What happens when the same healthy-food revolution Republicans once mocked Michelle Obama for is now being led by Robert F Kennedy Jr?
On this juicy and revealing episode of the Tara Palmeri Show, Top Chef finalist and D.C. restaurant king Spike Mendelsohn pulls back the curtain on how Washington’s food scene shifts with every administration: Obama’s eclectic fast-casual boom, Trump’s steakhouse surge, and the wild new reality of Republicans embracing the same healthy-food crusade that once got Michelle Obama called the “nanny state.” Spike dishes on creating the legendary Prez Obama burger, the Michelle Melt with Sam Kass, why In-N-Out just ditched food dyes, how tariffs and RFK’s policies are already hitting restaurant menus, and the bizarre Jared Kushner White House lunch order that left everyone speechless. From vegan burgers inside Whole Foods to watching happy hour specials turn overtly political overnight, Spike explains why power, policy, and plates are more intertwined than ever in the nation’s capital.
Which D.C. restaurant best captures the current political mood right now — steakhouses, trendy ethnic spots, or something else entirely?
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Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show.
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RFK Jr Steals Michelle Obama’s Food Playbook
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Tara Palmeri Show
01:01 Spike Mendelsohn joins the Tara Palmeri Show
03:12 How Spike helped explode D.C.’s food scene under Obama
06:25 Obama out and about vs Trump’s steakhouse surge
09:12 The new MAGA spot on Capitol Hill taking over the old Dem bistro
14:15 Prez Obama burger and the Michelle Melt legacy
17:19 Michelle Obama mocked as nanny state – now RFK Jr pushes the same ideas
18:39 Spike offers to help RFK Jr clean up American food
22:05 Will banning dyes and seed oils just make everything more expensive
25:43 The bizarre Jared Kushner White House lunch order
27:19 Thanks for watching the Tara Palmeri Show
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The Tara Palmeri Show