New York Chef Invited To Cook For President Obama's 2012 Greek Independence Day Party

For all of 2011 and through this month, White House aides have not announced the names of any guest chefs who have been invited to cook for President Obama at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But one lucky cook has now spilled the beans: New York's Maria Loi (l), who owns the eponymous restaurant Loi on the Upper West Side. The native of Greece has revealed that she cooked Mediterranean delights for President Obama's early and completely-closed-to-press reception for Greek Independence Day, held last Thursday in the East Room. The White House didn't release a guest list, but the party was for several hundred people.

Loi shared the news of her presidential honor with the New York Post, and said that she cooked alongside Executive Chef Cris Comerford and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses. She opened her NY restaurant last October, after becoming famous in her own country as a TV personality and chef.

"The White House chefs welcomed me as if I were in my own kitchen," Loi said. "I could stay here and cook with them forever.”

Comerford and Yosses gave Loi a tour of First Lady Obama's Kitchen Garden--due to be replanted for Spring today--as well as the beehive that sits nearby. She used White House honey to make her signature baklava for the President's party.

“It was the most wonderful honey I ever tasted--and we have great honey in Greece!” Loi said.

Other guests chefs have also cooked for the President's Greek Independence Day parties. In 2010, Iron Chef America star and cookbook author Cat Cora, a Greek American, cooked for the party. New York chef and cookbook author Michael Psilakis was the President's guest chef for his very first Greek Independence Day reception in 2009. Psilakis was also the first guest chef who had his name announced by aides. The White House did not announce the name of any guest chef for the 2011 Greek Independence Day Reception, and no chef spilled the beans about an invite.

Last Thursday's event was the 26th time the White House has marked Greece's national holiday, which falls on March 25th. President Obama's previous parties were not entirely closed to press; these were covered by his pool reporters and transcripts and videos of his remarks were released. Not so this year.

The New York Post story noted that Big Apple chefs are now "enjoying star status" in the District.

*Photo courtesy of Maria Loi.

President Obama Will Celebrate 2012 Greek Independence Day With White House Reception

President Obama celebrated St. Patrick's Day three days late this year, and on Thursday evening he will celebrate Greek Independence Day three days early. Newly returned from a two-day tour of the Wild West to discuss his energy policy, the President will host a reception in the East Room to mark the holiday, welcoming hundreds of guests at 6:55 PM. This year's closed-press event is the 26th celebration at the White House. Above: His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis of the Greek Orthodox Church has joined President Obama for the last three years.

A national holiday in Greece, March 25th commemorates the nation's declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, after being occupied for 400 years. It also marks the Feast of the Annunciation in the Greek Orthodox Church. Greek Americans will be celebrating in communities across the US this weekend. The Archbishop is a member of the President's White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

At last year's party, held on March 25th, the President spoke to more than 200 guests about the origins of the American Democratic system in ancient Greece. In 2010, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and his wife, Ada were the guests of honor, and Iron Chef America champ Cat Cora was the guest chef for the White House reception. The President's remarks at the 2011 reception:



*Photo by Pete Souza/White House, taken during last year's event, in the Green Room