President Obama Visits Texas Ribs & BBQ In Clinton, Maryland

"It's gotta be hot"...
Fresh as a daisy despite a late night celebrating the Special Relationship at Wednesday's State Dinner, President Obama made an "unscheduled stop" just before noon at Texas Ribs & BBQ in Clinton, Maryland. Perhaps BBQ was foremost on his mind, because the President had presented Prime Minister David Cameron with a very deluxe BBQ as a diplomatic gift. Joined by Sen. Benjamin Cardin, the President signed autographs and posed for photos with the surprised lunchtime crowd as he waited for his to-go order: Two slabs of babyback ribs. (Above: With Cardin, greeting diners)

The homey joint bills itself as having "the best seafood this side of Texas" in addition to its meaty delights.

"Hot sauce, it's gotta be hot," President Obama said as he leaned into the take-out window and placed his order with the blonde cashier.

The eat n' greet came on the heels of a speech on energy policy at Prince George’s Community College, and members of the media filled the small restaurant, which had a surprised lunchtime crowd. Cardin is facing a challenge in the April 3 Maryland Democratic primary from state Sen. C. Anthony Muse of Prince George’s County. The President has endorsed Cardin. (Above: The President outside the restaurant, carrying his take-out)

"Sorry about the fuss," the President said to one woman, who was seated at a wooden table. She giggled, thrilled.

There was more fuss outside after the President exited with his slabs: He worked a ropeline, greeting excited locals.



The pool report:

He surprised the lunch crowd, sitting at wooden paneled tables. The restaurant sign outside advertised corn beef and cabbage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Obama and Cardin sidled up to the takeout counter inside and POTUS inspected a menu as the cashier attempted to hand him a bag of someone else’s food. Couldn’t hear what POTUS ordered but heard him say: “hot sauce; got be hot. Do you want me to pay up now or pay later?”

“Later,” the cashier said.

“I am going to have to pay so don’t try getting sneaky on me,” said Obama, who then went with Cardin to greet diners while his food was being prepared.

One group of diners included some military folks and a man told POTUS he had helped fly a him during ‘08 campaign in military aircraft. Obama thanked him.

The restaurant featured license plates on the wall from Texas, Arizona and Maryland. Also trophies. A leather horse saddle. A wooden Jack Daniels sign. POTUS took pics and signed autographs with diners.

He asked: “You guys taking a little lunchbreak? What’s your name?”

Cardin dressed in suit blue dress shirt striped tie.

“Thanks for your service. I’m standing between you and the last bite,” he said to some diners who worked at Andrews Air Base.

Obama picked up his takeout order - two slabs of babyback ribs--and then greeted supporters who had gathered outside. He did not respond when your pooler shouted a question about Hamid Karzai’s demand that U.S. troops remain out of Afghan villages and stay on base in outposts.
##

*Pool was David Nakamura of Washington Post

Information: Texas Ribs & BBQ is at 7701 Old Branch Avenue, Clinton, MD, 20735. Phone: 301-877-0323

*Video from CBS news

Shark (Fin Soup) Attack!

President gets criticized for a dish he *didn't* order during visit to Chinatown landmark...
The White House liked the optics of President Obama's surprise Thursday visit to San Francisco landmark Great Eastern Restaurant so much that an image of Mr. Obama posing for a photo with thrilled diners became today's Photo of the Day on the blog (above). Not everyone was so jazzed by the President's dumpling drop by: Though Mr. Obama didn't go near a bowl of shark fin soup, he's being criticized in the press for patronizing a restaurant that sells the traditional but now illegal delicacy.

"Obama at restaurant that still serves sharkfin" was the headline in the hometown digital outlet, the SFGate. "Obama Shark Fin Soup: President Eats At Restaurant That Still Serves Taboo Meat," was the headline on Huffington Post.

"President Obama, who signed the Shark Conservation Act into law last month, apparently didn't check out the menu before he made a surprise visit Thursday to a Chinatown restaurant that is among a handful still serving shark fin soup, a delicacy that has been outlawed in California," chastised SFGate.

Or, er, the President's advance team didn't check out the menu. Great Eastern still sells braised shark fin soup for $48 a bowl, thanks to a loophole in the California law. The President "was not aware" that shark fin soup was still on the menu, Press Secretary Jay Carney, who accompanied Mr. Obama for the take-out meet n' greet, told reporters on Friday.

"The President enjoyed his visit to Chinatown, and, as you know, ordered a lot of dim sum takeout. No soup," Carney said.

The President left the restaurant with two laden bags, server Wing Oin told Obama Foodorama. These contained enough to feed a party of 14: Three orders of Shrimp Dumplings, three orders of Pork Dumplings, three orders of Shanghai Dumplings, and three orders of Sesame Bao. Each order contained either three or four dumplings/bao. The President asked Oin to make the selections for him, Oin said.

The White House this week was running another "what does $40 mean to you?" campaign as the President pressured Congress to extend the payroll tax cut. Apparently $48 means some bad press.

*Photo by Pete Souza/White House

Chinatown Take-Out: President Obama Visits Great Eastern Restaurant In San Francisco

President drops by for dumplings, bao & baby wrangling...
UPDATE: The President gets criticized for his visit because the eatery serves shark fin soup
In San Francisco on the way to a $35,800/ticket fundraiser at the swank Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, President Obama on Thursday made a "surprise" stop in Chinatown at Great Eastern Restaurant for an impromptu Eat & Greet. He is arrival at 1:22 PM by motorcade at the Jackson Street eatery caused shrieks of excitement from the lunchtime crowd, who yelled "Obama! Obama!" as he entered. The President was clad casually with no jacket, his shirtsleeves rolled up, ready to work the room. (Above: The President chats with customers)

"How are you? Good to see you!" President Obama said repeatedly, as he shook hands and posed for photos.

A local landmark, acclaimed for its offerings, the restaurant has been open for 26 years and is best known for its dumplings, according to server Wing Oin, who placed the President's take-out order and dished the details to Obama Foodorama. The President asked Wing to make the selections for a party of 14: Three orders of Shrimp Dumplings, three orders of Pork Dumplings, three orders of Shanghai Dumplings, and three orders of Sesame Bao. Each order contains either three or four dumplings/bao. (Above: The President and a future voter)

Mr. Obama "just walked in and said he wanted dim sum, and said you order," Wing said, adding that he was "not nervous."

The President paid about $120 cash in cash, according to Wing, and the order was packed into two take-out bags that read "Thank You" on the side.

Other patrons were more excited than Wing, who seemed to take it as a matter of course that the Eater in Chief would drop by for dumplings. The delighted crowd rushed toward the President as he entered, "leaving plates of lo mein behind," according to pool. (Above: The President paying for lunch)

Wing, who came to the US from Canton, has worked at Great Eastern for a decade, and said the President is not the first luminary he's served...but he couldn't remember the names of the other high-profile patrons who have visited. The eatery does not have a website.

The President's visit was a surprise: "He just showed up," said Wing.

The President spent time working the dining room, posing for pictures and shaking hands. After picking up his take-out order, the President worked a small rope line outside the restaurant. Then he walked back inside the restaurant and paid for his lunch. He'd been greeted at the airport on his arrival in San Francisco by California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, and State Attorney General Kamala Harris.

The fundraisers...
After the dim sum interlude, as the motorcade drove along San Francisco Bay toward the President's fundraiser at the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, big crowds were gathered on the side of the road, waving and snapping pictures. (Above: The President departing with his take-out bags as press Secretary Jay Carney and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, left, look on)

The cable cars stopped as the motorcade cut through the city. According to an OFA official, the President's fundraiser at the Intercontinental was scheduled to have approximately 20 supporters.

On Thursday evening, the President will attend a fundraising dinner with 70 supporters at a private residence in San Francisco - where there will be a performance by Al Green - followed by a fundraising reception at the Nob Hill Masonic Center. There will be 2,500 people in attendance and that event will feature a musical performance by Chris Cornell. Tickets for the dinner cost $35,800. Tickets for the reception start at $100.

All proceeds from Thursday’s events will go to Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee authorized by Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee.(Above: Another photo of the President with diners)

On Wednesday evening, the President raised close to $3 million at an event in Los Angeles, CA, and on Thursday morning attended a fundraiser in Corona Del Mar, CA.

Information: Great Eastern Restaurant is at 649 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA. 94133. Phone: (415) 986-2500.

*Photos by AP/Getty pool

President Obama Takes First Lady To Valentine's Day Dinner At Vermilion Restaurant

President follows his own advice and "goes big" with a Twitter valentine for the First Lady and a farm-to-table dinner cooked by the executive chef...
"Do not forget" Valentine's Day and "go big," President Obama advised America's husbands and boyfriends on Tuesday morning during a speech on the White House campus. True to his word, the President escorted First Lady Michelle Obama to a Valentine's Dinner at Vermilion Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. The eatery offers a menu of "simple, farm-driven American cooking," and the chef's special four-course tasting menu for the evening featured those Obama favorites, steak and lobster. The First Couple will mark their twentieth wedding anniversary next fall, and tonight's 1-1/2 hour celebration was the first time during the Presidency that Mr. Obama has actually taken his wife out for dinner on Valentine's Day. (Above: The President arrives at Vermilion)

The motorcade arrived shortly after 7:25 PM at the eatery located across the river from the White House in the heart of Old Town. The President, in a dark jacket with a white shirt and tieless, was spotted exiting his SUV. There was no sighting of Mrs. Obama. Earlier in the day, the President had tweeted a Valentine to his beloved. (Above: The President and Mrs. Obama at a White House event on Monday)

"Hey, @MichelleObama: Happy Valentine's Day. -bo," the President wrote on the @BarackObama account.

That was after he gave advice to America's "gentlemen":

"Let me start with a quick public service announcement for all the gentlemen out there: Today is Valentine’s Day," the President said to laughter from his audience. "Do not forget. I speak from experience here. It is important that you remember this. And go big--that's my advice."

The menu...
Going big for Valentine's Day this year meant Vermilion's Executive Chef Anthony Chittum, a Maryland native, was in the kitchen and personally cooked for the Obamas, according to the terse manager who was fielding post-dinner queries from media. The restaurant spotlights regional farmers, foragers and purveyors on its menu, naming suppliers from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The special four-course Valentine's Day tasting menu was $59 without wine pairings, and $85 with. The restaurant has received 2.5 stars from the Washington Post, and was named to Washingtonian magazine's Top 100 list in 2011.

The President was spotted drinking a martini, while Mrs. Obama enjoyed a glass of red wine. They ordered off the tasting menu, and both finished with the chocolate truffle tart, rather than the dessert included on the menu.

The Vermillion manager--who would not give his full name, but identified himself as "Matt"-- declined to provide any other details about the Presidential dinner, saying that the White House had requested silence--and that Vermilion wished to "respect the President and First Lady's privacy."

The last Presidential restaurant outing for Valentine's Day was in 2009, when the President escorted Mrs. Obama to chef Art Smith's Table Fifty-Two in Chicago, on Feb. 15.

Vermilion's Valentine's Day Chef's Tasting Menu (spelling inaccuracies not corrected):

Lobster Tortelloni, with davon crest chilies, fines herbes, lemon & roasted shellfish sauce.
Wine pairing: 2010 Domaine de la Bergerie Chenin Blanc Anjou, France

Today’s Atlantic Fish, served with chef’s preparation of market ingredients
Wine pairing: 2006 Aladame 1er Cru Chardonnay Montagny, Burgandy, France

Maryland All Natural Beef Strip Loin, with baby potato confit, wilted mizzuna, local onions & salsa verde
Wine pairing: 2008 Celler Cecilio “billo” grenache blend priorat, spain

The First Couple left Vermillion Restaurant at 9:07 PM, and they were back inside the White House at 9:24 PM. "The return trip was uneventful," pool reported. The pool was held at nearby Hard Times cafe as the President and Mrs. Obama celebrated.

Information: Vermilion Restaurant is at 1120 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314. Phone: (703) 684-9669.

*AP/Pool photos

Las Vegas: President Obama Feasts On World Famous Pies From Dom DeMarco's Pizzeria

Co-owner Albert Scalleat dishes on the Presidential take-out order: A dozen pizzas and twenty cannolis...
Delivering a dozen pizzas and 20 cannolis to President Obama on Wednesday night in Las Vegas was "like being in a movie," Albert Scalleat, co-owner and general manager of Dom DeMarco's Pizzeria & Bar told Obama Foodorama. The President's big take-out order was a surprise to Scalleat, whose western branch of the world-famous Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn has only been open for seven weeks. Scalleat said that when he got a call from the President's hotel, the Element in Summerlin, asking for the takeout order, he was only told that it was for a VIP guest. But he decided to deliver it himself, unaware that he was bringing dinner for the Eater in Chief--or that the President would send his compliments. (Above: President Obama spoke this morning at UPS Las Vegas South)

The Presidential dinner feast was first reported by Eater Las Vegas. As Scalleat arrived at the Element Hotel, the streets were blocked off, with a huge Secret Service and police presence.

"Honest to God it was like a movie," Scalleat said. "Helicopters overhead, police cars everywhere, guys in dark suits."

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is a regular at DeMarco's, Scalleat said, but he hailed delivering pizza to the President as a highlight of his long career. Scalleat is 67, and has been in the pizza biz for decades; Di Fara, open since 1964, has been "number one in New York for years;" it's routinely #1 in the Zagat Guide.

Scalleat brought the President six square Brooklyn-style thick crust pizzas, which sell for $27 each, and have 12 slices. There were 3 cheese pizzas, one sausage, one pepperoni, and one combo, which had sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms. Scalleat also brought six round, thin-crust pizzas, with exactly the same toppings. Those sell for $18 for the cheese, and $24 for the meat, and have 8 slices each.

The 20 cannolis, all oversized, were vanilla cream with chocolate chips, and go for $6 each, Scalleat said.

"We're known for our cannolis. We make them fresh daily."

Tight security...and the Presidential compliment...
Scalleat--and the huge takeout order--were screened through the Secret Service's tight security operation once he was inside the hotel, which he described as one of the nicest in the area--"beautiful--non-smoking, no gaming, and green." Scalleat went through a magnetometer, as did the takeout order. (Above: Scalleat is in the center, with Di Fara's founder Domenico DeMarco at left)

"I had to take everything out of my pockets and put it on a conveyer belt," Scalleat said. "Like at an airport. The pizzas and cannolis went through too."

Scalleat said he hung around after making his delivery because a crowd was in the hotel lobby, and there was much talk of President Obama taking a stroll through the public area. No such luck. But about 45 minutes after the delivery, one of the President's aides found Scalleat, and sent the President's compliments.

"The guy comes down and says the President told me to tell you that he loves the pizza and the cannolis," Scalleat said.

He didn't catch the aide's name, but someone in the crowd told Scalleat that the dark-suited aide, who was bald and in his 30s, was "the President's executive chef." The description sounds like Sam Kass, but there's no telling who the aide actually was.

Scalleat voted for Mr. Obama in 2008, and said he's thrilled that he got to deliver the pizza.

"It was like a movie," Scalleat repeated. "He's the President--who would have thought?!"

Business has been swell for Dom DeMarco's since they opened, Scalleat said, noting that Las Vegas guests who want to visit Di Faras's but can't make it to Brooklyn are coming in droves to the western outlet.

President Obama this morning spoke at UPS Las Vegas South, on the second day of a three-day, five-state tour that followed his State of the Union Address on Tuesday. He returns to Washington on Friday.

Information: Dom DeMarco's Pizzeria & Bar is at 9785 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV. 89117. Phone: 702-570-7000.

*Top photo by AP; others courtesy of Albert Scalleat

Endia Eason Bakes 23 Pies For President Obama

President gets Sweet Potato Pie, his staff gets Peach and Cherry...
Turns out that Endia Eason of Cleveland, Ohio, didn't just give President Obama a Sweet Potato Pie when he visited her home on Wednesday with newly minted consumer watchdog Richard Cordray. Eason, 91, treated the President's entire Advance Team to her locally famous creations, baking 23 pies in total, including cherry and peach. Which perhaps qualifies her for some kind of Guinness World Record for Presidential Piemaking By A Citizen. (Above: Endia Eason sits beside the President during their meeting)

Eason used to run a home bakery, and President Obama praised her skills during his speech at Shaker Heights High School while announcing Cordray's controversial recess appointment as chief of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"Ms. Eason makes a really good sweet potato pie," President Obama said. "I'm going to eat it later. I didn't want to eat it before because I didn't want to get sleepy having a big piece of pie before."

The President's entourage was grateful for the sweet treats, and Eason was thrilled, reported Cleveland.com.

"Those agents and staff people kept thanking me for the pies," Eason said. "I'm glad they enjoyed them."

The President visited with Eason at her home for twenty minutes before his speech, joined by Eason's husband William Eason, a Marine Corps veteran, Cordray, and Deonna Kirkpatrick, communications director for Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People, a housing non-profit that helped the Easons save their home, after they were misled by an unscrupulous mortgage broker and wound up $80,000 in debt.

Cordray's appointment will ostensibly help stop such criminal activity in the non-banking financial sector, according to the President. He is scheduled visit staff and deliver brief remarks at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today at 11:40 AM.

The elderly pie maven first became the face of the White House campaign for Cordray in early December of 2011, when she appeared in a CNN report about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's efforts to get Cordray confirmed.

Related: The President's speech is here.

*Photo by Pete Souza/White House. In the photo at top, from l: William Eason, Cordray, the President, Endia Eason, and Kirkpatrick.

Today: President Hosts "Lunch With Barack"

UPDATE: The lunch was for the "Dinner with Barack" fundraising contest. Read about it here.
*See note at bottom of post
President Obama's first lunchtime restaurant outing of 2012 is in service to his re-election effort. At 12:15 PM today, "the President will have lunch at a local restaurant with winners of a campaign contest," the White House announced. The eatery has not yet been identified, but the luncheon will be in Washington, DC.. The White House didn't announce President Obama's last lunch outing with the winners of an OFA contest, when he dined with volunteers at DC's Ted's Bulletin restaurant last August (above).

Nor was that luncheon listed on the President's daily schedule. Today's outing is. Mr. Obama chowed down on a cheeseburger and fries at Ted's, in keeping with being the most beef loving President in modern history.

The President's most recent campaign dining contest, "Dinner with Barack and Michelle," ended on Dec. 31. The names of the three winners have not yet been announced.

Before today's lunch, the President "will visit staff and deliver brief remarks at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau" at 11:40 AM. He announced his recess appointment for CFPB chief Richard Cordray on Wednesday.

*Note, 5:50 PM: Before today, "Lunch with Barack" was never part of the Campaign's dinner contest lingo, though many large media outlets, including ABC, have reported it as such.

"President Obama lunched in Washington today with four grassroots supporters and winners of his re-election campaign’s “Lunch with Barack” fundraising sweepstakes," ABC reported.

OFA released this behind-the-scenes video of the campaign lunch at Ted's Bulletin:

President Obama, Richard Cordray Meet With The Best Piemaker In Cleveland, Ohio

Before announcing Cordray's recess appointment, President gets gift of Sweet Potato Pie from locally famous pie maven Endia Eason...
President Obama's favorite dessert is pie, and early Wednesday afternoon he got a sweet gift as he met with 91-year-old Endia Eason of Cleveland, Ohio, who is famous among her neighbors as an accomplished crustmaster. Before he announced the controversial recess appointment of Richard Cordray as chief of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the President and his newly minted consumer watchdog had a twenty-minute meet n' greet with Mrs. Eason at her home. William Eason, a Marine Corps veteran, was also on hand for the dinner table confab, and they discussed how the couple went into debt and almost lost their home due to what the President described as the "trickery and abuse" of an unscrupulous mortgage broker. (Above: The President and Mrs. Eason share a laugh)

"Ms. Eason makes a really good sweet potato pie. She gave me one," President Obama told his audience of more than 1,200 at Shaker Heights High School after the meeting, as he formally announced Cordray's appointment. "I’m going to eat it later, after."

"I didn't want to eat it before because I didn't want to get sleepy having a big piece of pie right before."

In prepared remarks released by the White House, the President was due to say that Mrs. Eason is "known for making some of the best pies in Cleveland," but during his speech he exchanged this compliment for the more personal anecdote about the gift of pie. The President adores Sweet Potato Pie, according to First Lady Obama.

The elderly pie maven first became the face of the White House campaign for Cordray in early December of 2011, when she appeared in a CNN report about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's efforts to get Cordray confirmed. Mrs. Eason told CNN she'd like to bake Geithner a pie--or cook him dinner. (Above: Mr. Eason speaks as Cordray, the President, Mrs. Eason, and Deonna Kirkpatrick of housing non-profit Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People listen)

“My pies are the best pies in town – they’ve been saying that for years,” Eason said. “I make apple, sweet potato, peach and cherry.”

"We’re so glad that we've got somebody like Rich Cordray..."
At the Eason dinner table, the President blasted the unscrupulous mortgage broker who left the Easons $80,000 in debt after attaching fees to a home loan refinance that was supposed to get their house repaired.

"It's a good example of the kinds of trickery and abuse in the non-bank financial sector that we’re going to have to do something about," President Obama said.

"And we’re so glad that we've got somebody like Rich Cordray who’s willing to take this on and make sure that families like the Easons, who've done the right thing, who've been responsible, who've served their country, that they’re not taken advantage of and they’re able to live in security and dignity in their golden years."

The President also told the reporters packed into the small dining room that the Easons have been married for 42 years, and hailed Mr. Eason's service during the Korean War.

"He’s not mentioning he also used to be a boxer, so if you guys break anything in here you could be in trouble," the President joked.

A crowd of fans awaited President Obama outside the Easons' snow-covered home as he departed to make his speech At SHaker Heights High at 12:50.

Cordray starts work immediately...
Cordray, former Attorney General of Ohio, will ostensibly have the non-banking financial sector on a tight leash as part of his role as what the White House bills as "America's Consumer Watchdog." Work will start immediately, Cordray told reporters before the President's speech.

"We're gonna begin working to expand our program to non-banks, which is an area we haven't been able to touch up until now," Cordray said.

Press Secretary Jay Carney today called Cordray's recess appointment "a no brainer." It is part of the President's "We Can't Wait" campaign, in which he uses Executive Power to accomplish his mission without waiting for a Congress. In his final weekly address of 2011, President Obama vowed to move ahead without Congress whenever he feels it is necessary.

GOP leaders early Wednesday morning were already blasting the Cordray appointment, and have suggested they'll file a lawsuit to block it, among other actions.

Above, the President holds a baby as he greets supporters outside the Cordray home.

*Second and last photo by Pete Souza/White House; others by AP/pool

New Year's Day Dinner: President Obama Visits Nobu Waikiki Restaurant

The end of a family day spent honoring the Dunhams...
After spending a quiet New Year's Eve in his rental compound in Kailua, President Obama capped a New Year's Day filled with paying homage to his maternal family, the Dunhams, with dinner at one of the best sushi restaurants in Hawaii, Nobu Waikiki. The first Presidential dinner of 2012 came after a visit to the grave of Mr. Obama's grandfather Stanley Dunham, and a visit to an exhibition of his mother Ann Dunham's field work in Indonesia, at Honolulu's East-West Center. (Above: The First Family, including a niece, at the East-West Center)

Joined by First Lady Obama, family, and friends on Sunday evening, the President arrived at the chic restaurant at 7:55 PM. Located in the "perennially hip" Waikiki Parc Hotel, the restaurant, an ultra high-end global chain, bills itself as "yet another canvas for Chef Nobu Matsuhisa to display his legendary dishes."

The Presidential dinner, close to three hours long, included Lobster and Foi Gras in the chic dining room under sea-urchin inspired chandeliers. The New Year's Day menu was a special multicourser for $15o per person. It opened with Ozoni soup and Yamaimo Tofu, with Caviar, Uni & Wasabi Umami Gelee, followed by a "Seafood Duo" of an Oyster Shooter and Salmon Ceviche with Ikura.

Next was Seared Oh-toro with Yuzu Miso & Crispy Carrot Salad, and Butter-Poached Lobster with Curry Foam, Lobster Essence & Thai Basil Oil. A Duck Trio finished the rich mix of tastes: Duck Rillette, Crispy Tuile, Blood Orange Gelee; and Roasted Duck Breast, Baby Bok Choy with Mushroom Chips & Ginger-Soy Reduction; and Seared Foie Gras with Apple-Pear Compote & Toasted Hazelnuts. Assorted sushi was served in between the courses.

The Presidential motorcade returned home after 11:00 PM. The visit to Nobu was the third Presidential fine dining outing of the vacation: He also took family and friends to Alan Wong's Restaurant and to Morimoto restaurant, both in Honolulu. There was also a shave ice run to Kailua's Island Snow, an annual pilgrimage.

A day of Dunham: A visit to Punchbowl Cemetery and East-West Center...
The President's day began with a morning visit to the grave of his maternal grandfather in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. Mr. Dunham and his wife, Madelyn Payne Dunham, raised the President from the age of ten on Hawaii, while his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, worked in Indonesia. Mr. Dunham passed away on February 8, 1992. (Above: A photo of the President in Hawaii with his grandfather, mother, and sister)

Arriving at 10:39 with his family, the President spent 11 minutes at the cemetery, located in the Pu'owaina Crater (Punchbowl), known as the "Hill of Sacrifice" in ancient times. It has dramatic views of downtown Honolulu. The Dunhams hailed from Kansas, and during a recent trip there to give an important speech on his economic policy, the President hailed his family as "the Obamas of Osawatomie."

The First Family, joined by the President's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, then traveled to Honolulu's East-West Center at 11:00 AM, to view an exhibit on the anthropological field work of the President's late mother, "Through Her Eyes: Ann Dunham's Field Work in Indonesia." Dunham was an East-West Center graduate student fellow in the 1970s. (Above: The President and daughter Sasha at the East-West Center)

"At the president’s suggestion, the family also made an unscheduled visit to the Center’s Japanese garden, where the family held a memorial service for Dunham after she passed away in 1995," noted the Center on its website.

"The Obamas spent a few moments looking at the carp in the stream, and the President spoke of his parents meeting on the Manoa campus. He told his daughters that he had played in the garden as a child."

Soetoro-Ng has worked as a consultant for the East-West Center, and now teaches at a local university.

From the Center's catalog on Ann Dunham's work: "This exhibition includes photographs taken during her years of field research in Indonesia as well as personal artifacts which include examples of metal smithing, jewelry, leather work, textiles, ceramics, and basketry made in the villages of Indonesia. Dunham’s personal art and artifact collection has been augmented by some recent purchases, in order to give wider context to her work in Indonesia. She was not only concerned with connoisseurship, she also purchased common items that reflected what people made and used."

The First Family departs Hawaii on Monday to return to Washington, DC.

Information: Nobu Waikiki is located at 2233 Helumoa Road Honolulu, HI 96815. Phone: 808.237.6999.

*Top photo by AP/pool; second East-West Center photo courtesy of the East-West Center.