First Lady's Praise for Charlotte 'Cue Is Rib-Tickler

First Lady Michelle Obama’s praise of the virtues of 2012 Democratic National Convention host city Charlotte, N.C., has set local tongues wagging over her inclusion of great barbecue. The editorial board of the Charlotte Observer posted an online comment headlined, “Charlotte = great barbecue? Who knew?”, Politico reported.

Michelle Obama

The newspaper reported appreciation for the first lady’s comments about Charlotte’s charm, diversity, and hospitality but added that, when it comes to barbecue, “everybody knows to get the best stuff, you gotta drive north to Lexington.”

University of North Carolina retired professor John Shelton Reed told The Associated Press that praising Charlotte for barbeque was akin to praising “Minneapolis for gumbo,” Politico said.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said he had “good barbecue in Charlotte, but there's great barbecue [elsewhere] across the state," Politico noted. He added that, if the first lady, wants barbecue “she will have all the barbecue she needs. We'll make sure of it."

Making matters worse, Fox News pointed out that the barbecue praise was a bit at odds with the first lady’s healthy eating campaign. Studies indicate that a barbecue meal can tote up around 2,500 calories, according to a Fox Nation blog post.