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Smoked beef on bun for president-elect
What does the president-elect order on his first Saturday afternoon since moving into town? A chili dog and cheese fries.
- AP
- Published: 23:41 January 11, 2009
Washington: What does the president-elect order on his first Saturday afternoon since moving into town? A chili dog and cheese fries.
Barack Obama dropped in on Saturday afternoon for a bite to eat with Washington's mayor, Adrian Fenty, at Ben's Chili Bowl, the venerable diner in Washington's U Street district.
Obama said it was his first time visiting Ben's Chili Bowl and "it was terrific." The expectation is that Obama - already at ease in big cities from his time in Chicago - will venture into town more than President George W. Bush, who rarely made forays into unofficial Washington.
After Obama's motorcade wandered through the U Street district, passing the African-American Civil War Memorial and a flee market selling shirts that bear his face, he and Fenty surprised the restaurant around lunchtime.
Patrons shrieked with delight and surprise as they saw his face. A mother blushed as Obama held her baby in his arms.
The president-elect and the mayor moved slowly through the restaurant's crowded rooms, shaking hands and getting pictures taken with patrons.
Still, they came there to eat. "Where the food at?" he finally asked the counter staff, drawing laughs from them and nearby patrons.
He and Fenty ordered a house specialty, a Chili half pork and beef smoked sausage on a steamed bun with mustard, onions and chili sauce - along with a big helping of some cheese fries. They found a small table. They had the popular food. They even chatted it up with nearby customers at their tables.
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