John F. Kennedy opted to serve New England lobster, Ronald Reagan a California-inspired garden salad – and James Buchanan 400 gallons of oysters. Held at Statuary Hall in the US Capitol, the inaugural luncheon for a new president is as much part of inauguration day as the swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural address.
Nixon enjoyed pineapple slices topped with cottage cheese and washed down with a glass of milk
First time around, in 2017, Donald Trump’s inaugural meal featured dishes including Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp. But for those not on the guest list to find out what he serves tomorrow (McDonald’s ice cream, perhaps?), there are plenty of other opportunities to eat like a president in Washington DC. Many of the city’s restaurants and diners make a selling point out of how often tenants of the Oval Office have graced their tables.
Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, but not necessarily great taste. Shortly before announcing his resignation on television, Richard Nixon enjoyed a lunch of pineapple slices topped with cottage cheese and washed down with a glass of milk. Lyndon B. Johnson had a Fresca drink fountain installed in the Oval Office, and Air Force One was fitted with jellybean holders under Ronald Reagan. With that in mind, here’s our guide to which of the restaurants favoured by former presidents are actually worth sampling on a visit to DC – and which leave a less appealing taste in the mouth.
Le Diplomate
This brasserie is known as Joe Biden’s choice for satisfying a burger craving. Its French offering is extensive – and, just a mile from the White House, it’s great value and considered a safe choice among locals. Its interior is what you might expect an American’s interpretation of a Frenchman’s abode to be: cane-back chairs, deep-red cushioned benches and polished marble tables that spill out on to a patio. There’s also an odd fixation on bicycles: one hangs above the bar, cut-outs of champion cyclists plaster the corridor walls and among copies of the New Yorker and Washington Post on the magazine rack there are issues of Rouleur on ‘cycling culture’.
We ordered half a dozen top neck clams ($13) and foie gras parfait ($19). The clams came with a red sauce that had a generous dollop of horseradish and was thicker and far tastier than the pool of vinegar and shallots often paired with oysters. The chicken paillard ($22) was delightfully tender and silken, though slightly masked by a garlic-heavy tapenade. A pricier trout amandine ($35) was rather bland and dry, but lifted by citrusy and buttery green beans. Overall, I was reminded of London’s Zedel – fairly reliable for its price point and a reminder that popularity isn’t always a bad thing.
Martin’s Tavern
On a corner of DC’s cobblestoned Georgetown neighbourhood, Martin’s Tavern manages to be both elegant and boisterous. Televisions streaming football and baseball sit alongside Tiffany lamps, brass chandeliers, dark wooden booths and a brothel-like red ceiling. Couples dine while a group of college-age girls neck Bold Rock ciders at the bar. With no dress code, there everything from suits to shorts and denim jackets. Our waiter radiated New Yorker energy; he was bald, slightly sweaty and visibly swamped taking orders, but still keen to tell us about the tavern’s legacy. And for good reason: Martin’s is almost a century old. Across four generations it served every man in high office, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. One might sit in booth #2, where Richard Nixon frequently ordered chili and meatloaf, or booth #24, where speaker of the house Sam Rayburn mentored Lyndon B. Johnson, then a Texan congressman. Or, most famously, there’s booth #3, where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline in 1953.
We ordered stew, but both the traditional oyster version topped with clarified butter ($15.50) and colonial Brunswick ($13.95) were very fatty and oily. A ration-sized scoop of mashed potato and a rather sad-looking bundle of boiled broccoli accompanied the meatloaf ($24.95). But the meat and gravy was silky, warm and tender. Shortly past 10 p.m., with both sports games wrapped, the speakers began blaring Bonnie Tyler, Whitney Houston, Journey and George Michael – loud enough to dance, quiet enough to hold conversation. It’s what Westminster lacks, I thought: not a pub nor a bar nor a restaurant, but a tavern, a close-to-perfect place for politicos to plot or tune their sorrows out.
Old Ebbitt Grill
A few steps from the White House and originally a boarding house, Old Ebbitt Grill was visited by presidents including William Taft, Ulysses Grant and Franklin Roosevelt. These days, ruffled shade lamps light the tables, chandeliers light the aisles and the mounted heads of walrus, deer and warthog survey us from above the bar. It’s also teeming with tourists.
It doesn’t take long before the lavish décor begins to give me Disney vibes, and the restaurant seems to be trying to celebrate too many themes at once: nautical, rustic, Victorian, Americana, presidential. There are, however, oysters galore, in the form of platters, mix-and-match combos, two daily happy hours and two drinks. Their offers ($11.99) – with vodka, horseradish, cocktail sauce and an oyster of choice – provide a satisfying jolt after a long morning wandering the National Mall. But a lobster benedict ($33.99) was let down by an overly doughy English ‘muffin’. The corn beef hash ($19.99) was satisfyingly salty and starchy, but felt it like it might be slightly more appropriate for a drunken nightcap snack than lunch.
Ben’s Chili Bowl
‘Oh no, not there. You’ll get food poisoning,’ said a DC local when I mentioned I was planning to try Ben’s Chili Bowl. Apparently the restaurant – known for hosting Barack Obama days before his inauguration – now owes its popularity to out-of-towners rather than residents, who tend to keep their distance. Its flagship location on U Street is hard to miss as the building is covered by a mural of Prince, Martin Luther King Jr, Muhammad Ali and the Obamas. But Ben’s signature chili also pops up at other Washington locations, and I sampled it at their stand in Nationals Park during a baseball game against the Miami Marlins.
The classic half-smoke ($12) is a pork-and-beef mixed hot dog topped with diced onions and chili sauce. Sloppy and filling, it pairs well with a Budweiser and is perfect for a sports game – but not nearly memorable enough to persuade me to pay a visit to their headquarters. I’m not convinced Obama would have done, either, if it hadn’t been such a useful opportunity to burnish his ‘man of the people’ credentials.
Capitol Cafe
I hadn’t planned to stop here, but roaming the Library of Congress on an empty stomach after a morning tour of the Capitol, hunger pangs kicked in and the Capitol Cafe was the nearest place to assuage them. And what a remarkable canteen it was. I’ve seen less choice at buffets. There’s the grill (buffalo chicken, burgers, hot dogs), the deli (sandwiches, wraps), barbecue (fish, pulled pork), pasta, pizza, salads, soups, cakes – and the menu from Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural luncheon.
Quail stuffed with rice and duck confit was the luncheon’s main, so I try the Capitol Cafe’s version. With a nest of sweet potatoes and port cherry glace, it’s worth all its $16 price tag and more. The clam chowder ($6.25) also helped my midday revival, but the showstopper was the Dome dessert ($9). It’s a white chocolate Capitol with whipped cream and fruits hiding under its dome – a little gimmicky, but a delicious sugar rush nonetheless. Apparently some 19,000 are eaten every year. Yes, there’s no table service and the chairs are Wetherspoons-like – but it still feels remarkable to munch like a senator in the basement of this neoclassical beacon of democracy.
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