Top Chef Says Goodbye
White House chef Christeta Comerford created magical dinners for world leaders.
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In this 2009 photo, Chef Cristeta Comerford (center) discusses a dinner menu with First Lady Michelle Obama (left) and White House pastry chef Bill Yosses (right).
Imagine being responsible for everything from dinners in honor of world leaders to a simple menu for the president’s family. For decades, that was the job of Chef Cristeta Comerford. In July, Comerford retired from her post as the executive chef of the White House.
“I always say, food is love. Through her barrier-breaking career, Chef Cris has led her team with warmth and creativity and nourished our souls along the way,” First Lady Jill Biden said, after Comerford’s retirement was announced.
As the nation’s top chef, Comerford oversaw the White House chefs and kitchen staff and planned all meals, catering to each president’s taste for everyday meals but also whipping up five-star courses to impress the dignitaries who dined at the White House during state dinners.
“To be a White House chef…it’s not just your knowledge and your skills and the way you cook. It has to be the way you treat people, the way you delegate your work, the way you [apply] your team as a cohesive force,” Comerford told CNN in 2014.
Comerford grew up in Manila, Philippines, and moved to the United States at age 23. Trained to be a chef in Europe, she worked in various hotel kitchens before taking a job as an assistant chef at the White House in 1995. Comerford was promoted to executive chef in 2005, after planning and executing a state dinner for 134 guests. She was chosen over hundreds of other applicants. Comerford was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as executive chef in the White House.
In her 29 years at the White House, she cooked for the families of President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, President Obama, President Trump, and President Biden. It’s likely that all these families have very distinct food preferences—but customizing menus is part of Comerford’s expertise.
In this 2023 photo, White House chef Cristeta Comerford (right) prepares food with visiting chef Edward Lee before a White House dinner.
In 2010, Comerford competed in an episode of Iron Chef America with Chef Bobby Flay as her teammate. The pair defeated Chefs Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse in a cooking challenge. Comerford said the thrill of winning a TV competition couldn’t compare to her day job.
“As great as…it was to compete…with such creative and talented chefs, the greatest honor is still coming to work every day, walking through the White House gates and serving my country by serving the healthiest, freshest food we can provide for the First Family and their guests,” she later wrote.
