White House’s Fil-Am executive chef Cris Comerford retires after 29 years

The White House's Filipino-American executive chef has retired after 29 years of creating, serving and overseeing state dinners for five different US presidents and their families. 

According to The Washington Post, the retirement of Cristeta "Cris" Comerford was confirmed by a spokeswoman for First Lady Jill Biden.

Biden herself released a statement praising Comerford.

 “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. With all our hearts, Joe and I are filled with gratitude for her dedication and years of service,” the First Lady said.

Comerford was trained in French classical techniques and specializes in ethnic and American cuisine. She was hired to work in the White House during the Clinton years, when then-executive chef Walter Scheib III recruited her as his assistant in 1995. 

In 2005, she became the first woman executive chef of the White House, as well as the first person of color in the position, when she was handpicked for the job by then-First Lady Laura Bush. 

The daughter of Honesto, a school principal from Cuenca, Batangas and Erlinda, a dress shop owner from San Rafael, Bulacan, Comerford was born in Sampaloc, Manila, and studied food technology at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. "I never dreamt I would be working one day here in the White House," she told journalist Janet Nepales in 2009.

Being the first Filipino to hold such a prestigious position, she added, "is a great honor to be bestowed on me and to set a good example, be looked upon as a good model. It is something that I take very seriously on a day by day basis. You want to make sure that you are up there being the best that you can be all the time."

During a visit to the Philippines in 2014, then-US President Barack Obama said he was familiar with lumpia and adobo due to Comerford.

Chef, humanitarian, and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés praised Comerford in a post on X. 

“To our amazing White House Chef Cristeta Comerford, who served 5 presidents & cooked at 54 state dinners…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…for almost 30 years,” he wrote. 

To our amazing @WhiteHouse Chef Cristeta Comerford, who served 5 presidents & cooked at 54 state dinners…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…for almost 30… pic.twitter.com/l6WBcmM4mu

— Chef José Andrés ????????????? (@chefjoseandres) July 29, 2024

“Congrats on retiring, we love you, Cris.”

Biden's spokeswoman said Comerford’s last day was Friday.  — Sherylin Untalan/BM, GMA Integrated News