Philadelphia cooking legend Friedman Paul Erhardt, better known as "Chef Tell" has died at the age of 63. Erhardt was one of the first chefs to be featured on television and was also said to be the inspiration for the Swedish chef on "The Muppet Show."
President Richard Nixon was an occasional visitor in his restaurant and in fact helped him on his path to becoming an American Citizen.
Bunny, the chef’s wife of 19 years, said that on one visit in 1986, Nixon asked the chef if he voted. Chef Tell said he could not, as he had been unable to become a citizen. Nixon joked that lack of citizenship was no barrier in Chicago, where noncitizens always voted. The next day someone called to say that the former president had sponsored him for citizenship, and a month later Nixon spoke at the ceremony at which he took the oath of citizenship.
He is also survived by a son, Torsten, and a grandson.
[NY Times]
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