One of my earliest memories of wandering a museum came when I was in grade school. My father, who worked on Chicago’s West Side, didn’t believe in summer camps or babysitters. His solution for child care was to drop me off in the morning at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Inside this hulking yet beautiful building, I immersed myself in exhibits about space exploration and the principles of physics, gawking, too, at the 3,500-square-foot scale model train set showing a journey from Chicago to Seattle. The museum provided my dad with a solution to keep me occupied while school was out while also increasing the chances that science would somehow inspire me and propel me into a career as an engineer or some adjacent profession. I laugh now because the museum’s biggest draw this year was “Marvel's Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing.”
But along with the promise to be outside waiting for me by 3 p.m.,my dad would also hand me $5 for lunch. With options like Pizza Hut in the basement, this ensured I’d be eating like a Gen X prince. These were the ‘80s, and my dad would also hand me $5 for lunch when he’d drop me off at the Field Museum of Natural History, which had a McDonald’s. Obviously, I’d order two hamburgers without pickles. The Indian pickles my parents ate at home were too spicy, and therefore by the transitive property, they had to be terrible at American fast-food joints, too.
Naturally, five bucks won’t pay for much in this current economy. But that’s not the only thing that’s changed. Museum dining has evolved all over the country. My former colleague Robert Sietsema noticed the trend back in 2024 in New York, a trend highlighted by The Modern at The Museum of Modern Art, which boasts two Michelin stars. While there’s no official count of museums with Michelin-starred restaurants, there are spots like Singapore’s Odette, RIJKS in Amsterdam, and Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain. Chicago has seen a push thanks to Marisol, the cafe at the Museum of Modern Art. The restaurant was developed by Jason Hammel, the force behind James Beard Award-winning Lula Cafe. Marisol is also an escape for patients, family, and staff at the nearby Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
WIth that in mind, last week the family trekked out to a prominent new tourist attraction. The Obama Presidential Center opened in June, less than a mile from Griffin Museum of Science of Industry, where my father used to drop me off decades ago. There isn’t a basement McDonald’s but the Center is home to two restaurants: First, a cafeteria-style spot for salads, soups, and sandwiches. There are also pastries and coffee (the coffee’s from Philadelphia-based La Columbe, a mild upset for fans of Chicago’s bustling coffee scene).
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The second eatery is a hybrid-service restaurant where customers order at the counter and runners bring their meals to the table. Tafari Kitchen is named for Tafari Campbell, the Obamas’ former personal chef who also worked on the White House kitchen team. Chicago chef Cliff Rome developed the recipes for the restaurant. Rome, best known for Peaches on 47th Street, caught the Obamas’ attention for his shrimp and grits and other Southern favorites. But beyond the food, it was how Peaches has ascended as a key landmark in Chicago’s Bronzeville community.
While talking to Chicago’s restaurant insiders back in 2022 as the center began soliciting food vendors, there was the belief that food service would be handled by a large group, such as Levy — an organization with experience serving large crowds at stadiums and other venues. Instead, the Obama Foundation turned to Rome.
The prices aren’t cheap, but they don’t reflect the mark-up customers would expect to find at most museums. The Obama Chili is based on a family recipe, one that actually exists — not some figurehead local operator a private equity firm offers to local media when they announce a new location — costs $12. It’s tomato-based with beans, so Texans beware. It’s more of a soup, but tasty. The portion size was fine.The short rib ($19.75) was tender on a bed of mashed potatoes and a few plantains. A grilled cheese ($12.50) sandwich should please picky eaters and can be stacked with bacon and onion. The unexpected star was the Moroccan Chicken ($17), served with couscous.
I texted Rome the day before the visit. Diners don’t need to buy a ticket to eat at the restaurant, and while nearby Hyde Park has plenty of sit-down spots in the neighborhood, Chicago’s South Side can always use more. Rome tells me they’re working to add more programming, and to incorporate ingredients from the Center’s Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden. He also shared that he was surprised that the Obama Burger (kind of forgettable with cheddar, lettuce, and tomato) and the chili were the two-lowest sellers on the menu.
We waited about an hour from the line to getting our food during peak lunch time at noon. That should be shocking. What was a little bit more concerning was the seasoning. The chili could have used some heat. The short rib, chicken, and jollof needed a kick. These are things that can be easily fixed. But also, when serving a crowd with different tastes from all the country and the world, why do we always pander to the ones with the most sensitive palates?
Another quibble? The supply chain comes for us all. The restaurant was out of Tafari’s famous ribs, cedar plank salmon, and classic lasagna. Maybe next time… thanks, (no, I won’t do that). You might be tempted to blame the massive crowds that have descended on the Center since it has opened, but those will endure for months, if not years, and the restaurants are going to have to adapt to meet the demand. At least there’s a full-service bar.
Checking out the menu, Tafari’s gives visitors a variety, a good snapshot of what it is to be American. Food that would be wildly, and legitimately, representative of America’s 250th Birthday. And while my dad’s $5 museum food allowance from the ‘80s would only be enough for a beverage at the Obama Center, affordability and accessibility clearly matter. Maybe a youngster will taste an ingredient for the first time and find inspiration to begin their own culinary adventure?
We can only hope.
On Ravenous This Week
Courtney E. Smith
🐦⬛ Bird Droppings
- Ashok spoke with WTTW Chicago about Ravenous’s state of affairs and how we’re trying to unite local and national coverage in a time when corporate food media is decimating both.
- Our friends at the worker-owned publication formerly known as Gourmet, are in the midst of a rebrand and don’t have a name. The publication succumbed to Conde Nast’s legal threats over the Gourmet trademark, but continue to put out content worth reading. Show them some love.
- Private equity will come for your Italian beefs and hot dogs in Chicago. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Portillo’s has laid off about 18% of its staff from its suburban Chicago headquarters. The firings, which started on July 31, didn’t impact restaurant workers.
- Finally, our former union pal, Hamilton Nolan, published a post with the headline, “Paying for News Is Cheaper Than Not Having It.” The story shares what we at Ravenous hold true: news organizations are often sentinels holding folks accountable. Not having them around is bad. If you want a good look at the state of media, give the story a read. And please, consider upgrading your free Ravenous subscription to a paid subscription. We love you.
Raven Nickname of the Week: Glowstick
This week’s colorful nickname comes from reader Cecile-Anne Sison.
My nickname for the raven is "Glowstick" because she's kind of neon green, and she puts the rave in raven.
Want to give our raven a silly little name? You have to become a Regular. Do you want to know the raven's real name? Only Big Spenders have access to that truth.
