The Obamas Valentine at Table Fifty-Two

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, had Valentine's Day dinner at an upscale restaurant in their hometown of Chicago.

The Obamas left their Kenwood home Saturday evening for a quiet dinner at Table Fifty-Two, a restaurant owned by Oprah Winfey's former chef, Art Smith.

The menu features traditional southern fare such as grits and sausage and catfish jambalaya.

The trip came with a minor hiccup: Obama's motorcade left without the small group of reporters who travel everywhere with the president.

The motorcade pulled out of the neighborhood and left the president without media coverage for about 45 minutes, unusual for the news organizations covering Obama and the White House.

Obama is spending a long weekend in Chicago for his family's first real break since he took the presidency on Jan. 20. Aides say they have no public events.

The president began his weekend with a familiar trip to a gym in a friend's apartment building. Between his election and inauguration, Obama made the daily trip to his friend's gym.

The president spent more than an hour inside his adopted workout facility, before returning to his Kenwood home, according to pool reports. Chicago Trib.

For more on the restaurant and the eats, check out Obama Foodorama.

Cristeta Comerford Stays on as White House Chef

The current White House Chef, Cristeta Comerford, is staying on. Comerford is a naturalized citizen from the Philippines who studied French cooking in Austria. She specializes in ethnic and American cuisine. It seems this pick is made by the First Lady:

MSNBC: "Cristeta Comerford brings such incredible talent to the White House operation and came very highly regarded from the Bush family," Michelle Obama said in a statement. "Also the mom of a young daughter, I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families. I look forward to working with her in the years to come."

Three other chefs were apparently under consideration:

Philippine News: Mrs. Bush appointed Comerford in August 2005, impressed by how this Filipina has prepared an elaborate and delicious dinner for visiting Indian Prime Minister Manohan Singh.

Her main responsibility is designing and executing menus for state dinners and social events. Not to mention holiday functions, receptions and luncheons hosted by the Bush family.

Trained in French classical techniques specializing in ethnic and American cuisine, she currently presides over a staff of five to 25 full time employees.

Comerford was hired during the Clinton years when then White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib III recruited her as his assistant in 1995.

Thus far, three names are said to be being considered for her position of chef to President Obama. They are chefs Rick Bayless, Art Smith, and Daniel Young.

Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, is a proponent of organic foods and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Daniel Young cooked for Mr. Obama during the Democratic National Convention. He is known for his seafood stew with crab-stuffed chicken breast.

Rick Bayless is on the list as well not only for his Mexican specialty but also because he is from Chicago, where the Obamas are long-time residents.

In his book, Scheib, Comerford’s predecessor, said First Ladies like to leave their mark on the White House kitchen.

“Jackie Kennedy brought French cuisine to the White House. Hillary Clinton hired me to bring American cuisine to the table. And Laura Bush hired the first woman chef for the White House,” he said in his memoir, “White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen”

Watchers of history are waiting to see how Mrs. Obama would make her mark on the First Kitchen.

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