J.J. Redick: I was never a very adventurous eater growing up, despite the fact that my mother is a nutritionist and my parents have always had a garden in our yard. When I was at Duke, I finally had an avocado — accidentally — on a turkey sandwich. I was hooked. Next thing I know, I couldn’t get enough guacamole. Avocado was the first thing I ever ate that was outside my box. As I finished up my time at Duke, I certainly wasn’t a “foodie” but I was learning to enjoy the finer things in the culinary world.
During my third year with the Magic, I took a trip with Chelsea (my girlfriend at the time and now my wife) to Mexico and we both tried some foods we had never tried before. At that point, February of 2009, I officially became a “foodie.” Now I will try almost anything and can enjoy some different foods, such as pork jowls.
Redick goes on to name his favorite restaurants in Orlando, his favorite restaurants around the world, and his “normal” in-season diet. The least surprising part of this interview? Before retiring, Redick’s teammate Adonal Foyle was the biggest foodie in the NBA, and is also a wonderful cook. Seriously, why doesn’t Foyle have a morning show at this point?