The Fashion-Fail Foods Anna Wintour Bans Every Year From The Met Gala
Every first Monday in May, the annual Met Gala is the talk of the town as celebrities and fashionistas converge for the gala that benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. The event is organized by fashion bible Vogue, and chief content officer and global editorial director Anna Wintour is notorious for maintaining a famously curated guest list. Though, it's not just people, but apparently the food that Wintour also carefully selects, banning three culinary ingredients from making the cut on the menu: chives, onion, and garlic.
"Those are three things I'm not particularly fond of. And so yes, that's true," Wintour confirmed to TODAY. Despite this year's "Garden of Time" dress theme, the fresh green and popular aromatics did not earn a coveted seat at the table. Savvy speculators believe this is not only due to Wintour's own palate, but to also avoid garlic breath and to help those with an allergy or sensitivity to the alliums.
Although there are drinks to neutralize garlic's effects, the editor-in-chief clearly had other motivations for the ban. Doing so also eliminates an herb prone to sticking in teeth and, inadvertently, photobombing paparazzi photos. Although not confirmed by Wintour, parsley is another rumored garnish forbidden at the gathering to protect attendees' smiles.
What was on the Met Gala menu?
Met Gala host Anna Wintour also forbids the use of cell phones at the table, making it tricky for the rest of us to glimpse the meal and entertainment at the invite-only event. Although the internet is awash with red carpet photos, only a select few of the perfectly coiffed menu offerings appear online. The meal, catered by New York's Olivier Cheng Catering, apparently featured a seasonal salad topped with deep brown, butterfly-shaped croutons and "elderflower foam, raspberry vinaigrette, and olive crumble that resembles soil," according to Vogue.
Yellow-hued petals and a spray of what might be an edible herb flower also made an appearance on the cabbage-shaped salad plates. Considering the sheer number of floral outfits — and one ice-encrusted-rose purse — sported by everyone from Zendaya to Wintour herself, it's no surprise that the blossoms made their way onto the menu as well. A faux rose tortellini, made of sculpted pasta, also decorated the main course of beef filet and mushrooms. Dessert concluded with a pastry plate featuring apples and nuts, taking inspiration from fairy tales.
The entire Met Gala meal was likely curated to also protect the historic couture. Wintour is said to have banned foods like bruschetta, a crumbly appetizer featuring staining tomatoes, and, fittingly, the 2024 menu features what look to be fashion-friendly muted colors, delicate seasonings, and glossy styling.