Saturday, September 27, 2014

Small plates - big disruption! Barack and Michelle's romantic date night in trendy Manhattan tapas restaurant brings traffic to a standstill

Small plates - big disruption! Barack and Michelle's romantic date night in trendy Manhattan tapas restaurant brings traffic to a standstill

·        The couple went to Estela, a tapas restaurant, on E. Houston Street
·        They ate burrata, salsa verde, bread, endive salads, tomatoes, croquettes
·        They ditched restaurants at the Waldorf Astoria where they were staying
·        The president's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett also joined them for dinner
·        The restaurant said it was ‘humbled’ by the presidential visit


President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama enjoyed a romantic date night in a small tapas restaurant in New York on Wednesday.
The couple dined at Estela, a tiny tapas-style restaurant on East Houston Street in Manhattan where they ate burrata with salsa verde and bread, two endive salads, and tomatoes and croquettes.
And they even ditched the swanky restaurants at the Waldorf Astoria, where they had been staying in the city for a night at the eatery.
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Spotted: One Instagram user took this photo of the POTUS and FLOTUS dining in tapas bar Estela in New York
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Spotted: One Instagram user took this photo of the POTUS and FLOTUS dining in tapas bar Estela in New York
Order: The restaurant said it was ‘humbled’ by the presidential visit, posting an Instagram shot of the order
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Order: The restaurant said it was ‘humbled’ by the presidential visit, posting an Instagram shot of the order
Local residents saw Obama's presidential motorcade speed through the Nolita neighborhood on Wednesday night.
The president's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett also joined them for the night out. 
Eyewitnesses told Eater New York that the POTUS and FLOTUS enjoyed a full meal before they returned to their hotel shortly before 10:30pm.


Estela said it was ‘humbled’ by the presidential visit, posting an Instagram shot of the Obama’s order.  
The Obamas chose the small restaurant over a host of places on offer at The Waldorf Astoria, including the world renowned Peacock Alley Restaurant, Bull and Bear Steakhouse and Oscar's Brasserie.
Estela, meanwhile, bills itself as being 'designed as an approachable, easy and fun place to go' and says it serves shareable plates of American food with European influences.
High security date: Siren-topped cars were stationed outside the low-key eatery as the Obamas ate
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High security date: Siren-topped cars were stationed outside the low-key eatery as the Obamas ate
Packed: Passers-by said the pit stop caused a backlog of traffic as commuters drove round the security float
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Packed: Passers-by said the pit stop caused a backlog of traffic as commuters drove round the security float
Connections: The Obamas' personal chef Sam Kass is good friend with Estela founder Dan Farber 
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Connections: The Obamas' personal chef Sam Kass is good friend with Estela founder Dan Farber 
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It also features a wine list of over 200 mostly European selections from France (Rhône, Burgundy), Germany and Italy, and offers classically-inspired cocktails.
Obama's personal chef, Sam Kass is good friends with Estela founder Dan Farber.
Farber and the Obamas attended Kass's recent wedding to MSNBC host Alex Wagner.
President Obama had been in New York to discuss the threat of terror group ISIS at the United Nations where he explained his decision to launch military strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
New York visit: Obama was in New York to address issues before the UN General Assembly
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New York visit: Obama was in New York to address issues before the UN General Assembly
Michelle Obama, left, and Yoo Soon-taek, wife of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, earlier in the day before their night out. She wore an elegant updo for the day. The pair often try to make time for date night
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Michelle Obama, left, and Yoo Soon-taek, wife of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, earlier in the day before their night out. She wore an elegant updo for the day. The pair often try to make time for date night
The Obamas have been married for 20 years but reveal that they always try and make time for date night, despite their hectic schedule, but it can be hard.
During an interview with Jimmy Fallon last year Michelle set the scene for a typical night out with her husband.
'We try to do date nights; it's a little tough,' she said.
'Barack has a 20-car motorcade, men with guns, the ambulance is always there. How romantic can you be?'  
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