A Cornucopia of Free Food (For Thought)
by Nick Grudin on November 17, 2005 in Culture
“You’ve got long arms, pass me the bread,” Roger Ailes whispered to me at the George Magazine 10th Anniversary Dinner about a month ago. I wasn’t about to keep the CEO of FOX News from his bread-and-butter, even if it meant nearly knocking over two glasses of wine in the process.
Caroline Kennedy, David Ellwood, and Louis Menand were also at my table that night, a cornucopia of brainpower and influence, not to mention free food and wine.
The past month might have been the pinnacle of the Kennedy School’s Free Food curriculum, which has proven a most fruitful focus area for me. I have dined in the company American legends, from President Reagan’s communication guru Michael Deaver, to New York Times D.C. Bureau Chief Philip Taubman; from CNN’s hotshot White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, to the Estee Lauder Companies’ matriarch Evelyn Lauder.
The food has been Sedexo staples; “The Crimson” sandwich bar, a rich baked potato buffet, and of course, the specialty entrees like grilled salmon, and tandori chicken.
Mr. Deaver’s Crimson bar was a particularly good meal. Having been to one too many such sandwich bars this semester, I decided to do something bold and innovative. I loaded my sourdough slices with cold cuts of every variety - roast beef, ham, and turkey - and squeezed some veggies in, too. The logistics of eating that behemoth were tough, but if you can manage it, I highly recommend the combination.
Like the food, the conversations at these meals have been expectedly predictable and yet surprisingly satisfying. And like the food, I have gluttonously indulged in the topic du jour; Scooter Libby, Judith Miller, and the homecoming of scandal in D.C. (There was one notably unpredictable mealtime discussion, which I will get to in a minute.)
Deaver, Taubman, Malveaux and everyone else I can think of discussed the current Washington maelstrom, particularly addressing the crisis in the White House. Deaver, who helped mastermind President Reagan’s image through several such crises, and Taubman, who has been at the heart of the Valerie Plame-Judith Miller-Scooter Libby scandal.
Though the discussions were “off the record,” it’s fair to say there’s broad agreement across the political spectrum that blood is in the Beltway water; that the Administration’s current fix will have long-term repercussions, and that Bush has failed to manage it appropriately.
Developments since these meals offer verification - New Jersey and Virginia elected Democratic governors, and California voters roundly rebuked Governor Schwarzenegger’s initiatives. Furthermore, Bush’s Veteran’s Day diatribe against opponents of the war shows just how cornered the Administration must feel by the plummeting numbers; to lash out against critics is a classic Karl Rove tactic - the best defense is a good offense.
One notable exception to the meaty political conversations of the past month was a presentation by Evelyn Lauder, senior vice president of Estee Lauder and the founder of an innovative HIV initiative. Lauder was the keynote speaker at a Charles Hotel luncheon hosted by the Center for Public Leadership, but I don’t think the CPL knew quite what they were in for.
After presenting an interesting Power Point about her HIV initiative, Lauder launched into a highlight reel of her latest photography exhibits, a hobby she’s picked up on the side. One of my personal favorites was a series of shots she presented showing vintage dolls photographed alongside roses in dramatic sunset lighting.
I don’t think I was alone in wondering what in God’s name that had to do with social entrepreneurship - more like socialite entrepreneurship. But who am I to complain, the food was free.
This column is an effort to highlight a unique opportunity we have at the Kennedy School to kill two elusive birds with one stone:
(1) The school’s daily parade of accomplished and inspirational visitors, who just so happen to regularly speak at mealtime events, and;
(2) The opportunity afforded to students to regularly eat for free.
In the spirit of efficient self-improvement, I have made a pact with myself that I extend to my readers: to attend as many free food events as humanly possible, in hopes of intellectual, financial, and nutritional enrichment.
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