Your Protein Powder Might Have Lead in It

Welcome to Deep Dish, a weekly roundup of food and entertainment news. Last week we discussed Asahi’s cyber attack and beer shortage.

A mere two weeks ago, Sam and I downed every flavor of Starbucks’ new protein-laden cold foam in the interest of on-the-ground journalism. Apparently, there’s a non-negligible chance that, in doing so, we may have ingested lead—per a recent Consumer Reports report, which found that many protein powders and shakes contain the toxic metal.

Also this week, Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end (perhaps better known as Taylor Swift’s fiancé) opened a very expensive restaurant. Tyra Banks, meanwhile, took to Instagram to rhapsodize about not-melted, “hot ice cream.” And in Maine, an oysterman is running for Senate.

Protein panic took on an entirely new, inverse meaning this week. According to a Consumer Reports study, a number of popular protein powders and shakes contain high levels of lead. Before you panic and dump your vat of protein powder, a crucial caveat: In most cases, the products were deemed unsafe for daily consumption. While lead in anything edible is indisputably Not Ideal, the findings beg larger questions about how our society overconsumes protein products in the first place. “Even those with the highest lead levels are far below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm,” the report indicates. “That said, because most people don’t actually need protein supplements—nutrition experts say the average American already gets plenty—it makes sense to ask whether these products are worth the added exposure.” —Li Goldstein, associate newsletter editor

Perhaps you’ve heard of a young songstress by the name of Taylor Swift? Perhaps you’ve also heard that she’s getting married to burgeoning athlete Travis Kelce? Amid all the hubbub around the pair’s engagement, 1587 Prime—a new steakhouse in Kansas City in a partnership between Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes, and hospitality group Noble 33—opened in September. Now, we’re getting an inside look at the menu and the vibe.

According to The Cut’s Mia Mercado, who had a $241 dinner at 1587 Prime recently, the menu and decor are chock full of sly nods to the co-owners. A cocktail riffing on an Old Fashioned is called Big Yeti, a reference to Kelce’s nickname.There’s a $15 dollar ketchup flight, a wink at Mahomes’ own love for ketchup-covered steak.

Although 1587 Prime is branded as Mahomes’ and Kelce’s restaurant—the name is a reference to their respective jersey numbers—a spokesperson for the hospitality group suggests their actual involvement was limited, though they did taste through the menu before opening. Regardless, one thing is clear: The steakhouse is alive and well, and beef is back, baby. — Sam Stone, staff writer

What is hot ice cream? Your guess is as good as ours—and the rest of the Internet’s, apparently. Hot Mama—the name of Tyra Banks’ new hot ice cream line, obviously—is both elusive and bewildering, and her Instagram launch video provides little clarification. In fact, it provides no clarification, spawning more questions than it answers. A confused (but secretly intrigued?) Bon Appétit staff collectively mulled it over on Slack. Writes senior director of programming Jonathan Wise: “am i weird for thinking it sounds kind of good.” Senior service and cooking editor Kelsey Jane Youngman provided both validation and culinary deductive reasoning in return: “I mean…I imagine it is just warm crème anglaise…which is good, so no?” — LG

Last week, on a sunny Friday afternoon, I found myself on a small boat with Graham Platner, an oysterman in Sullivan, Maine who’s running for Senate. In the weeks since its launch, Platner’s campaign has received a tidal wave of support to the tune of more than four million dollars in donations and nine thousand volunteers across Maine. His focus on working class issues, through an anti-establishment lens, puts Platner in league with a new class of progressive candidates like New York City’s Zohran Mamdani and Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, who are quickly gaining traction with voters tired of the traditional Democratic political playbook. But central to his run for Senate is his work as an oysterman.

Read the full article to learn how Platner’s work on the water has informed his stances on everything from climate change to affordability issues like housing and healthcare.— SS