Celebrities In Your Food

Winston-Salem, NC – I ate at a nearby Mexican restaurant for lunch yesterday and couldn’t help but notice the “celebrity” photos near the cash register. There goes Chris Paul chomping down on a stuffed burrito with the owner of “The Tequila Restaurant.” You see it all of the time in the “middle class” restaurants; those restaurants that aren’t 4 or 5-star (Morton’s and Ruth Chris), nor are they as tacky as fast food joints. These “middle class” restaurants are usually Chinese and Mexican restaurants where a waiter/waitress is serves you, but they make you “get up” to pay the check.

When you’re waiting in line to pay the check, glance to your left and you’ll see their prized collection of framed photos featuring celebrities and athletes. The celebrity usually writes some dry humored, one liner: “Your tacos are the best in town.” At “The Tequila Restaurant,” they had an impressive compilation of Wake Forest athletes: Chris Paul and Josh Howard from the NBA and Jim Grobe and other players from the recent 2006 ACC Champion football team. When we ate at a Chinese restaurant in Atlanta a couple of months ago, I noticed a signed photo of Francisco Cabrera – yes, the Francisco Cabrera who catapulted the Braves into the World Series in 1991 with his famous hit to drive in Sid Bream. Cabrera writes, “Golden Buddha, good food!” on his photo. Wow, great quote. It’s not just the restaurants who are into the celebrity craze. That same weekend in Atlanta, we went to a puppy store, “Puppies From Heaven.” There was an autographed photo of Usher buying his pup from the store.

Do these restaurant owners think that more customers will frequent their place if a celebrity or athlete has eaten there? "Yes, I only my Chinese food from the 'Peking House' because that's where George Clooney goes." Why do they hang it near the cash register where the customer won’t see it until after they’re done eating? Can’t the restaurant fill the walls with classier décor? Personally, I really don’t have a problem with the photos. It’s usually my companions, who are trying to get out the door, are slowed in their tracks. If they see a photo of a baseball player, they know my eyes will drift and I must see who it is. So the next time you’re gobbling on some of General Tso's chicken, and you’re about to pay the bill, look left, you might see someone famous.