Guest Post – Chef Harper McClure Eats Up His Time with the Chevy Camaro

October 18, 2012 9:02 am ET

Harper McClure is Chef de Cuisine at the Federalist in Washington, D.C. Follow Harper and the Federalist @thefederalistdc or on his blog where he covers everything from kitchen organizing and seasonal recipes to his favorite wine pairings and farmer’s markets.

The other day I had the saddest phone call I’ve had in a long time.

“Mr. McClure, we’re here to pick up the Camaro…..”

Silence on my end of the line…my thoughts are racing, trying to figure out just how far I would have to drive for General Motors to forget about me. Mexico? Maybe cross the Panama Canal and start a new life in South America? I do look good in a fedora! Then I remember the OnStar feature, which tracks the car via satellite and I’m jerked back to reality. My fantasy week has come to an end. What a trip it’s been, literally!

This is by far the coolest car I’ve ever been lucky enough to drive. I’ve driven sleek Mercedes Benz’s, nimble BMW’s, and zippy little Audi’s, but nothing compares to this pure expression of American muscle. This car just wants to eat the road and have the puny little sedans on the road as a side dish. The moment I pushed the gas pedal it begged for more, actually a little dangerous for an impulsive chef such as myself. It has the bells and whistles you want in a convertible. The automatically retracting roof completes its operation in about 23 seconds (I timed it on the “don’t walk” sign while waiting at a red light). Once that top is down, you can seriously bump some Sirius XM radio on the more than ample sound system. When you have to parallel park in a tight D.C. parking spot, just put the car in reverse and watch your rear view mirror. The left hand side of the mirror turns into a rear view camera! AWESOME!!!

We took this ride out to the DuPont Circle Farmer’s Market and met up with our favorite farmer Beverly Eggleston of Eco Friendly Foods for a few pictures. The next morning we were up at 4:30 am to head out to the Eastern Shore to catch rockfish with our friends from Congressional Seafood. Everywhere we went, I would get so many comments on the car! People were so impressed with the styling, and even more impressed with the engine when they heard me start it up. All in all, I absolutely fell in love with this car! Just waiting for that first cookbook deal to come through so I can put down my first payment!