was inspired to write Something to Food About after a visit
black-eyed peas. By the end of Saturday night they’d finally
to Jiro Ono’s famous sushi counter in Tokyo, and a number
finished.” Monday was earmarked for dishwashing.
of his press photos show him with chopsticks and nigiri in
“It was also probably food that helped the Roots cross
hand. I needn’t have worried. He has an immediate, unforced
over,” Questlove says. Twenty years ago, when the Roots were
way of putting one at ease. It starts when we both order an
still Philadelphia-based, their manager, Richard Nichols,
elaborately described rice beer called Koshihikari Echigo,
decided the band needed to cultivate a tribe of like-minded
which we taste. “Really?” Questlove asks, raising his eye-
collaborators and fans—today we have Swifties and the
Beyhive, but these were A Tribe Called Quest days, and one’s
brows conspiratorially above his thick-rimmed glasses—of
tribe made music as well as listened to it. Nichols persuaded
which, by the way, he has 600 pairs. I offer that Koshihikari
Geffen Rec ords to add a personal chef to the band’s bud-
Echigo tastes like Bud Light. “Oh!” he exclaims. “Is this what
Bud Light tastes like?”
get. That chef, pilfered from a posh Philadelphia jazz club,
Questlove wants chutoro (medium fatty tuna). I hazard
cooked—sometimes for hours—while the Roots hosted five-
a preference for otoro (the fattiest and by most standards,
and ten-hour jam sessions, originally at Questlove’s Philadel-
the best). “You know, let’s settle this,” he says. He suggests
phia house. These evolved into the famous Black Lily jam
an A-B comparison, which lasts five or six rounds—I lose
sessions, where Macy Gray, Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, and
count—and quickly devolves into the kind of digressive con-
many more went to practice and collaborate, eventually lead-
versation one has with an old friend. Which is the best brand
ing to at least ten record deals. “There had been nowhere for
of earplugs? Is Pluto a planet? How many episodes of Soul
the neo-soul–hip-hop movement to get together,” Questlove
Train has he yet to watch? He draws comparisons between
tells me. “Jill Scott, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Musiq Soulchild,
chefs and underground rappers. “Dominique Crenn,” he says
Freeway . . . they were all there.” His food salons, he says, “are
(of Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn in San Francisco). “Domi-
what those jam sessions were in 1997.”
We have a second dinner reservation—at Carbone, Rich
nique is like, ‘How can I provoke? How can I move you?’ ” We
Torrisi and Mario Carbone’s temple to
talk about Cronuts—he’s a fan—and
veal Parmesan—but we feel lazy and
the fact that he first tasted wine at 23.
disinclined to head all the way down-
We consume great quantities of very
THE SALONS
expensive, delicious tuna. For the record,
town. We decide instead to relocate to
ARE NOTABLE FOR
Questlove is right about chutoro.
Cipriani, a celebrity clubhouse a few
THEIR MIX
blocks away not known for its food.
OF COLORS, AGES,
Born to musician parents in Philadel-
“Their rigatoni is good, ” Questlove as-
phia, Questlove was drumming at two.
sures me. “We’re fine with that or the
OCCUPATIONS. THAT’S
He played Radio City Music Hall with
ravioli.” We enter, some time around
PART OF THE POINT.
his parents’ band, Lee Andrews and
9:30, to a chorus of “Questlove!” Spike
“NOBODY HERE
the Hearts, at eleven. He and his high
Lee’s wife, Tonya, is finishing dinner
HAS STATUS ABOVE
school friend—kind of friend, kind of
with a retinue of powerful women in
ANOTHER PERSON,”
frenemy—Black Thought (a.k.a. Tariq
suits. After much hugging and kissing,
Trotter) formed the Roots in 1987, at
we sit, and Questlove jokes he’s sur-
HE SAYS
the Fame-like Philadelphia High School
prised we’re let in without a booking. “I
for Creative and Performing Arts in
mean, the Clooneys really like it here,”
South Philly. (A bit of hip-hop trivia: The band’s early name
he says. “I’m just the most celebrated second banana. I’m
was the Square Roots, which is charmingly nineties nerdy.)
Tariq’s partner. I’m Jimmy’s second banana. I hide behind a
Questlove has a collection of 80,000 records whose tracks
drum set. I hide behind a DJ booth.” The truth is Questlove
he can recite at will.
has any ear he wants. Our conversation turns to the astrologi-
When did he turn his attention to food? It happened when
cal possibility of a thirteenth zodiac sign (Ophiuchus the ser-
his love of music dimmed. “I had a good fifteen-year period
pent). “I have to ask Neil deGrasse Tyson about that,” he says.
with hip-hop, when it was upping the ante all the time,” he
For help scrambling an egg? “Chang or Ansel,” he says. When
says