Washington: Once upon a time American and Russian Presidents exchanged fierce rhetoric across continents. On Thursday, presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev sat across a table, exchanged pleasantries and munched on burgers.
The informal jaunt was squeezed in between an Oval Office meeting and a joint press conference back at the White House. A cheer went up from customers when the presidents walked in but the lunch crowd largely left the presidents alone. After surprising lunchtime patrons, Obama and Medvedev chatted with the staff and ordered burgers at the restaurant, which has won rave reviews for the quality of its 10-ounce steakhouse-style burgers.
Obama munched on a cheddar cheese burger with onions, lettuce, tomato, and bread-and-butter pickles washed down with ice tea. Medvedev went for the cheddar-cheese burger with onions, jalepeno peppers and mushrooms, along with a bottle of Coke. The two slim and youthful leaders both in shirt sleeves on a hot summer day , shared a portion of French fries. Quiet a sight to capture. Even though, President Obama paid the bill.
Medvedev called the burgers "probably not quite healthy, but very tasty."
Later in the day, the two leaders held a joint news conference at the East Room in the White House. Obama declared that he and Medvedev had "succeeded in resetting" the relationship between the former Cold War adversaries that had dipped to dangerously low levels in recent years.
President Obama's love for Junk food is well known, and he must be a fan of "Ray's", since he lunched at the same restaurant last year with Vice President Joe Biden. Despite First Lady Michelle Obama's focus on healthy eating at the White House, President Barack Obama likes to visit places that sell burgers and wings.
Just last month POTUS made an unscheduled stop by Duff's Famous Wings near Buffalo for the local delicacy. Days ahead of his inauguration, then President elect Obama opted for a chili dog at Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, which proved to be a boon for the eatery.
Well, Obama might take the first lady to upscale restaurants (Komi, Nora's, Citronelle, Equinox, Blue Duck Tavern) for date nights, but likes local joints (Five Guys, Ray's Hell-Burger, Ben's Chili Bowl) for the occasional lunch with the guys.