Obama and me

Since we're all into all things Barack, a 2001 video has surfaced of him talking about one of his favorite restaurants in Chicago. I laughed when he talked about ordering the Southern sampler because he couldn't make up his mind. Sounds like me.

I study the menu as if I'll never eat again, then pick something that lets me taste several things: mixing and matching soups, salads, and small dishes, or choosing an entree that combines a variety of ingredients or comes with appealing sides. I rarely order something like a steak and a spud. I love cuisines that encourage ordering multiple dishes and sharing. And then there's the time-honored tradition of "bitesies" that the jewelry maven and I have been into for decades.

Obama also declares that when it comes to restaurants, he's interested in "food that tastes good, for a good price." Yup, that's me again.

It doesn't surprise me that a wonderful feast for two can be had for an investment the size of a week's unemployment check. What's more amazing is to be served a quite good meal that costs no more than an hour or two of minimum wage.

I've actually been to at least three places Obama favors for chow, and all of them fall into the second category.

Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington is a long-time fave. I heard about it through Jane and Michael Stern's book Roadfood , the bible for those of us who favor category no. 2 cuisine.

Ben's is a down-home place, with a counter and a few booths in the front and tables in the back. There's something about it that reminds me of the late, lamented Landrum's, my long-time Reno hang.

You make your choices from a board posted behind the counter, place your order, then find a seat. Ben's serves good, unpretentious food, and lots of it. I always order the chili, fries and half-smoked sausage, it's all good. I promise I'll go back some day for the scrapple and egg breakfast. I hope Obama's watching his cholesterol -- Ben's is a temple of heart-stopping goodness.

Last year on Oahu with the Grumpy Diner, the Jewelry Maven and the Billder, one of us asked a parking lot cashier about a good place to get a burger. She told us about a few rather spiffy places in downtown Honolulu, then confided that most local people prefer the Rainbow Drive-In. I recently found out that Obama was a regular there when he lived in Hawaii, and went back several times during his vacation when he was our president elect.

The Rainbow is a great place to get a quick bite. You place your order at the window, then hover around waiting for a seat at an outdoor table. There's a relaxed atmosphere, but you probably don't want to linger because: 1) There's someone waiting for a table, and/or 2) you're on your way to do something fun.

The Rainbow burger was thin, gray, not remotely interesting. Fortunately, only one of us ordered it. The rest of us scarfed down our mahi-mahi (or pork cutlet or mix plate) served with rice, macaroni salad and sauce, offering bitesies to the poor burger eater. We ate there at least four or five times, it was usually our main meal of the day. The food is good, inexpensive, and abundant. There's great people watching, and a good vintage aloha shirt store in the neighborhood. What's not to like?!

During our two weeks on Oahu, we usually picked breakfast from the fruit trees surrounding our house, then headed out for our day of fun. First stop: Matsumoto's in Haleiwa for a shave ice. I don't think we went a single day without stopping at the place, which has the feel of an old-time general store. Locals and tourists alike line up to order crushed ice topped with flavored syrup in colors that are only found in nature if you're in a tropical environment. Choices range from lilikoi to root beer to guava to bubblegum to peach, up to three kinds per cone. I skipped the optional toppings like condensed milk or azuki bean, and mostly stuck with the fresh fruit flavors. Once we all got our orders, we'd sit outside on the benches or window shop along the street while enjoying our treats. A great way to start the day!