White House chef retires after nearly 30 years, 1st woman and 1st person of color to have the job

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House's executive chef has retired after nearly three decades of making meals and cooking up state dinners for five different presidents and their families.

Cris Comerford is the first woman to hold the job, and is also the first person of color to be executive chef. Her last day was Friday. First lady Jill Biden thanked her for her service in a statement on Tuesday.

“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," Jill Biden said in a statement. "With all our hearts, Joe and I are filled with gratitude for her dedication and years of service.”

Comerford, 61, sharpened her culinary skills while working at hotels in Chicago and restaurants in Washington before the White House brought her on in 1995 as an assistant chef.

A naturalized U.S. citizen and a native of the Philippines, she was named executive chef in 2005. Her responsibilities as executive chef included designing and executing menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons.

She and pastry chef Susie Morrison — also the first woman in that job — formed a duo that has tantalized the taste buds of guests at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with their culinary creations for nearly a decade.

A lavish state dinner is a tool of U.S. diplomacy, a high honor reserved for America’s longstanding and closest allies and the food is the signature event. Comerford's last state dinner was for Kenyan President William Ruto and his wife, Rachel, in May.

The team served a three-course meal of chilled heirloom tomato soup and a “best of both worlds” main course of smoked beef short ribs and butter-poached lobster. Dessert was a homemade white chocolate basket of raspberries, peaches and other fruit.

Chef and humanitarian José Andrés seemed to break the news Monday evening with a post congratulating her. “You are a national treasure, a culinary diplomat who has shown the world how an immigrant can celebrate American food & share it with the world’s leaders,” he posted. “Congrats on retiring, we love you Cris.”