Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson loves food. But she can't enjoy a meal if her dinner companion is...lacking, she tells Delish in an exclusive interview. "I remember I went [on a date]; it was an Italian or French restaurant, very shoo shoo shee shee," she says. "I was impressed, but he had no conversation. So I couldn't even enjoy the food—'cause it was weird. But he choked his food down because he had nothing to say."
When asked about her dining pet peeves, Taraji quickly responds, "People blowing their nose in the restaurant. Go to the bathroom, please."
And to drink? "I know wine, but I still get intimidated when I get in the wine aisle," she says. And that's partially the reason Henson decided to team up with wine brand Seven Daughters as its strategic advisor and creative collaborator. Her wine, which is 100% Moscato, is made by the Terlato Wine Group in Italy, and for Henson, the partnership was a no-brainer. "I thought this was a great entry point for new wine drinkers," she says. "Moscato's easy on the palate. It's uncomplicated. Some Moscatos are too sweet [but] this is really just perfect. I'm salivating."
But you won't find Taraji putting ice in her glass of vino. "It waters it down. Ice in a bucket with the wine in the bottle, not ice in your glass," she asserts. Indeed, the age-old debate of whether or not to put ice in your glass of wine is finally settled. Put the bottle on rocks, or you'll have Taraji to answer to.
As for things she enjoys pairing with her wine, Henson is a big fan of seafood—in particular, langoustine. "Crack that thing open, put it on a grill, drizzle a little oil and some lemon," and you're good to go, according to Henson. However, "the best place to have it is in Italy, honey," she tells us. An ice-cold glass of Moscato and fresh langoustine in Capri? Where do I sign up?
Another secret Taraji swears by is ensuring you don't waste a precious drop of wine in your bottle. If you only have a little bit left, she recommends mixing some into a cocktail. According to Henson, Moscato is easy to mix—she's swirled it together with everything from rum to vodka. One of her go-to's is frosé: she blends wine, strawberry puree, vodka, and fresh-squeezed pineapple for a strong yet refreshing summer sipper.
While Taraji's no stranger to enjoying the finer things in life, that doesn't mean she isn't above a hi-brow, low-brow pairing every now and then. Her vice? LA's infamous Zancou Chicken. "I fell in love with Zancou when I was broke," she tells us. "They know me because I'm there at least once every other week. It's so good, and it's not expensive, but the food is incredible and seasoned so well." In fact, Taraji's such a fan of the chain that it was one of the determining factors when she purchased her first home in Glendale. "I was like, oh my god, there's a Zancou I can walk to," she exclaimed. Luckily, there's still one near where she lives now, so she can strut right in any time the craving hits.
