Alice Waters
Obama Presidential Center Honoree
Space Name: Alice Waters Private Dining Room | Tafari’s Kitchen | Forum | Level 1
Alice Waters, a chef, educator, author, and activist, pioneered the slow food movement. She founded one of the U.S.’s first farm-to-table restaurants, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California. Later, she created the Edible Schoolyard program to teach children how to grow and cook their own meals. Her ideas inspired initiatives like school and community gardens and Mrs. Obama’s White House garden. Her mission to connect young people to food, environmental stewardship, and stronger communities continues today at the Center.
With gratitude to Gwendolyn Weiner, The EOS Foundation Trust
Legacy on Campus
Tafari’s Kitchen
Tafari’s Kitchen is a culinary experience honoring the legacy of former White House Chef, Tafari Campbell and the local food traditions of Chicago. Curated by Chef Cliff Rome, Tafari’s Kitchen is a one-of-a-kind restaurant that celebrates the connections we make through food.
Garden Gatherings
Enjoy free, open-house style gatherings featuring live music, hands-on gardening activities in the kitchen classroom that celebrates the legacy of Alice Waters and several other environmental leaders.
Meet More Honorees
Through the honoree naming initiative at the Obama Presidential Center, we are partnering with our donors to celebrate a part of the history in which the Obama story is so deeply rooted by associating a named space with a hero, moment, or person "on whose shoulders we stand"—an honoree who made the Obamas’ story possible.
Meet More Honorees