REMEMBER WHEN Ronald Reagan made those Jelly-Belly jelly beans so famous by putting them out at Cabinet meetings? Well, the time for the hand-roasted, cinnamon-glazed almond has arrived - as the official snack food of the Clinton administration.
But the best local news is that the Delta Center has adopted it, too.I recently met 30-year-old John Mautner, a creative young entrepreneur who calls himself "The Nutty Bavarian." For the past three years he has been manufacturing and selling these delicious nuts in Orlando, Fla. I found him on the third level of the Delta Center roasting up a vat of almonds. I couldn't miss him, because the tempting aroma extends for at least 100 yards.
He pours his patented syrup, which he calls a cinnamon sauce, into the vat, then adds California almonds. After about 20 minutes, you have a treat you can't stop eating.
Although the product sells itself, Mautner got his most important break last December when he was giving free samples to thousands of patrons at an amusement park trade show in Dallas. Coincidentally, a man named Jess Woods was strolling around that day and stopped to try some almonds.
"You know - my boss would really like these," said Woods.
"Who's your boss?" asked Maut-ner.
"Bill Clinton," said Woods.
"No way - get outta here!" said Mautner.
But pictures and stories convinced Mautner that he had a legitimately powerful person hap-pily crunching his almonds. Woods is the president's official chef, caterer and friend, whose association with the Clintons dates back 25 years.
Woods said, "Look, I want you to come to Washington and provide these nuts for the inaugural dinners." Mautner could hardly refuse. What he didn't fully realize was what it would lead to - great publicity in the Washington Post and kudos from CNN and NBC.
"Willard Scott and Bryant Gumbel were munching on them, and Katie Couric was eating them on the air twice! That night, Gumbel was at one of these $1,500 a plate dinners where he had the almonds, and the next day, he said, `Guess what I got, Willard? Some more of these great cinnamon almonds!' Then during the inaugural broadcast, Tom Brokaw talked about them."
It was every entrepreneur's dream. Now Mautner supplies the White House with his product, including some in Mason jars with the presidential seal. Turns out that the Clintons have always had a weakness for both cinnamon and almonds. Terry Fry, an Arkansas native who runs a company called Seasons, was authorized to do the official "potpourri scent" for the White House. The two smells are White House Almond and Jazz Hot, a cinnamon scent.
But Mautner is not stopping with the White House. He is courting other stadiums and arenas - and has pretty well cornered the market in Florida, including Orlando, Miami and Universal Studios. Now he's working on the Los Angeles Forum, where the Lakers play, and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Utahns are bound to relish a nice, hot bag at the Delta Center from carts on levels 3 and 5, and from vendor trays in the stands. (Or they can call his 800 number - 382-4788) Mautner provides the equipment and the supplies but trusts Marriott employees to execute his recipe.
In the meantime, an appearance with Jay Leno is in the works, plus an ice cream flavor with Ben and Jerry's. It just might be the best idea since chocolate chip cookie dough.