Yet Another Chef Uses ‘Thug’ To Plan Distasteful Dinner (When Will People Ever Learn?)

 

Jesus, is 2014 the year of “thug” cooking? And can we make it stop already?

Mike Isabella, former Top Chef-er and owner of Washington D.C.’s Graffiato, evidently thought he could jump on the Thug Kitchen train and ride it into stupidity. Because who would find anything offensive about a “hip hop themed dinner” that includes “THUG rice,” “BLOOD money sausage,” “milk chocolate chip BLUNTS” and “COKE floats” (emphasis not ours)?

And yes, Graffiato and Isabella recoiled after the Internet freaked the eff out. From a publicist:

“The Graffiato dinner on February 2 is a celebration of hip hop from two of the greatest artists of the 90s. The menu is still a work in progress, and dishes will be inspired by songs, lyrics and classic east and west coast dishes.”

Really, a work in progress? Because not being offensive and misappropriating cultural references didn’t come to mind the first time around?

Coincidentally, this dinner happens to fall during Black History Month.

Just because that one thug attitude worked for one couple of yuppie millenials cookbook author doesn’t mean that this is a trend that should catch on. We get it — food trends are tiring. Who really wants to keep serving kale and gluten-free crap and ramen stupidity? But maybe, just maybe, we can leave the tone-deaf narcissism and racism out of it. Cool? Cool.

(Need more proof to leave the racism out of it? Maybe don’t let your social media person Tweet stuff about the Redskins either, Graffiato. No matter how proud you are of your home team, let’s reconsider this all together, shall we?

/rant.)

[Washington City Paper]

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