What Prince Liked To Eat, According To His Former Chef
Where to even begin? Prince Rogers Nelson — known mononymously as Prince — was a force to be reckoned with. The award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and producer died suddenly in April 2016 at his Paisley Park estate, but his legend lives on and has no signs of stopping. For decades, the Minneapolis native graced the globe with his eclectic, glamorous, mystical, charming, genius presence and gifted pop music fans from across several walks of life with iconic hits like "Purple Rain," "When Doves Cry," "1999," "Raspberry Beret," "Kiss," "I Would Die 4 U," and "Let's Go Crazy," just to name a few.
Prince constantly surrounded himself with fellow famous folks and lived a lavish life despite maintaining a humble, warm, and surprisingly calm disposition around his family, friends, and fans. But what's it like to be Prince's personal chef? And what did the luminary enjoy eating and drinking when he was not wowing crowds and recording tunes? If these whimsical questions have ever crossed your mind, you are in luck because Margaret Wetzler has the inside scoop on the diet preferences of Prince, as told in an exclusive interview with Food & Wine the year after his passing. Let's just say, Prince lived up to his given name in the best way.
What were Prince's favorite foods?
Per the recommendation of a close connection who would cook every so often for the artist, Margaret Wetzler became Prince's private chef a mere three weeks after graduating cooking school in 2008 — a literal dream come true, especially for an admirer. The demanding, 24/7 on-call gig was quite an experience, as Wetzler sacrificed most of her own free time to prepare gourmet meals for Prince and his celebrity guests every single day with the exception of only a few occasions. Even when she cooked for only Prince and no one else, his menu certainly had its eyebrow-raising moments.
At the time, Prince was a pescatarian and was quite keen on flavorful Asian fare, like veggie-filled potstickers and Vietnamese summer rolls. One night, Wetzler whipped up some of her favorite tried-and-true recipes at an Oscars party hosted by the superstar himself. He also thoroughly enjoyed the first three-course meal she cooked for him during her official tryout, which consisted of teriyaki salmon (her personal favorite), grilled asparagus on the side, a bowl of hot-and-sour soup, and fresh coconut mango sorbet to top everything off. Everything she served him was so good, he even asked for seconds, and it became a weekly request, she told Food & Wine.
Prince found delight in some of the most modest dishes with the slightest hint of flair, including a wide variety of vegetables, rice, fish and seafood, and quiche (though he eventually became a vegan and loyal PETA supporter, omitting all meats and animal byproducts from his diet). He even cooked his own scrambled eggs for breakfast from time to time.
What else did Prince love to eat?
Even though Prince feasted on a generally healthy diet for the most part, he wasn't always overly picky about what he consumed. For instance, just like everyone else, he felt little to no guilt when he wanted to indulge in sinful sweets like store-bought birthday cake at 11 p.m. (whether or not it was June 7), milkshakes, and sugar-coated ice cream sundaes every once in a purple moon. He even requested a chocolate fondue fountain at one point — for no particularly special occasion. Whatever Prince wanted, Prince got. And that was that.
And to drink? As Margaret Wetzler shared with Food & Wine, Prince loved to sip on a frothy cappuccino to keep his creative flow going while writing and rehearsing his music late at night. He is also reported to have been super into an array of teas, plus everyday sodas like ginger ale and Pepsi (via TODAY). But what was perhaps the most riveting meal Prince would order routinely, even at the fanciest restaurants in town? A simple plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce and a glass of orange juice to wash it all down, according to an article in Rolling Stone. What can you say? The man had taste.
Wetzler was only Prince's personal chef for three months, but she recalls the once-in-a-lifetime experience as being nothing short of amazing. Prince offered the world so much during his 57 years on this side of the atmosphere, including a kind heart, a transcendental style, and countless reasons to smile, sing, dance, and feel welcome — especially if you consider yourself an outcast. The inspiring and openly unconventional artist, yet reserved, passionate food lover and hospitable homebody will be fondly remembered for generations to come.