Obama Delicacies

Photo courtesy Laura Edgar

As we count down to what promises to be an incommodiously frenzied inaugural weekend, it is only natural that Washington, D.C. vendors prepare to squeeze every dime out of the teeming hordes pouring into our nation’s capital. Fair enough. The masses will need to eat, drink, and indulge an appetite for souvenir hats. And the options are endless. Less imaginative dining establishments are merely expanding their hours of business and slashing prices. But a few are taking advantage of America’s only current growth market: Obama-related paraphernalia.

But the entrepreneurial inaugural spirit is not as widely spread as you might think. So, ever attentive to the needs of our constituency, Campus Progress will ring in the new presidency by seeking the tastiest Obama-themed treats in all the land, and guiding our readers to those deemed worthy of their attentions.

1529 14th St NW, (202) 387-2626

I begin my quest at Artfully Chocolate, Kingsbury Confections, a cozy café and art gallery specializing, as you might guess, in chocolate and chocolate-related activities. The owners, Eric Nelson and Rob Kingsbury, share an affectation for chocolate, fine art, and the cinematic divas of yore, translated into a menu inspired by classic actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

According to their website, “[Kingsbury and Nelson] are constantly feeling out their customers (most of the time, just figuratively) to determine what will make the experience more satisfying.” In a city that tends to be overwhelmingly Democratic, 74 percent according to recent polls, it didn’t take much groping to figure out that the Nov. 4 results occasioned a break from their diva-inspired Hollywood theme. The result: ChocObama a “cool, refreshing mint” infused bar (also available as hot chocolate), with a portrait of Obama molded on top.

A McCain victory would not have merited a similar burst of chocolaty affection. “Not that we have anything against McCain, but this is really about change, a new beginning,” Nelson said. “[Obama’s presidency] will change the emotional perspective of the people in this city. We expect lots of foot traffic.”

The unbelievably good ChocObama certainly merits a weekend rush. Although with a price tag that counts as Keynesian economic stimulus ($8.50), it is also unbelievably expensive. The hot chocolate version is more reasonable (around $5).

1351 Connecticut Ave NW, (202) 861-2253

Chowing down on a Very Berry Obama Cupcake.

Hello Cupcake! is located next to the south exit of the Dupont Circle Metro, a convenient location in normal times, less so when the trains are choked with fevered inauguration spectators. During previous trips to the pastry shop I have been astounded by the sheer quantity of icing per cupcake. But the Very Berry Obama, a blueberry cupcake with cream cheese icing, patriotic sprinkles, and a dainty American flag through the top, avoids the delicious but trauma-inducing mountains of icing that grace some of its shelf mates.

Hello Cupcake! has proved popular with those who live and work in the area, but there have been no Barack-sightings yet. “Members of the transition team have come in, but I don’t know if the cupcakes [have] made their way up to the president,” said Penny Karas, the owner of Hello Cupcake! “I very much hope he comes by, it would be the thrill of a lifetime. This is an open invitation for Obama to come by and try my cupcakes.”

The cupcakes are $3 apiece.

1517 Connecticut Ave NW, (202) 387-1462

Andrew Conner, bartender at Kramer’s Afterwards Cafe, holds a BarackStar Martini.

I soldiered on through Dupont Circle to Kramer’s & Afterwords, a popular political bookstore in the city. Upon entering Kramer’s my stomach lodged a disturbingly loud series of gurgling protests, ensuring me plenty of elbow room at the bar. The beer I drank while waiting for the bar manager was only tangentially related to Barack Obama’s inauguration, but cheap for a Newcastle at $4.40 (happy hour prices).

Andrew Conner, who manages Kramer’s bar, fixed me a BarackStar Martini ($10), a drink featuring various chocolate liquors that my liberal-arts graduate taste buds, steeped in the finest of whatever cost less than five dollars, could barely comprehend.

“A good winter drink, very flavorful, not too sweet. It seemed like a good time for it,” Conner told me. “We’ve had other cocktails for other political eras, but this is one of the better ones.” He added that “it’s a big seller.” It is certainly one of the best drinks I’ve tasted, and a wonderful way to relax after spending a winter day standing around on the Mall.

With two desserts and a cocktail jostling for breathing room in my stomach, I staggered into the night, vainly hoping for an Obama-themed Pepto-Bismol campaign. Individually all these specials are wonderful, but I wouldn’t advise hitting them sequentially.

400 First Street, SE, (202) 546-6768

Dining at Tortilla Coast.

For lunch the next day, I dropped by Tortilla Coast, a popular Tex-Mex restaurant and bar, and a known Republican haunt. For inauguration the restaurant is serving Obama’s Huevos for $9.95 (eggs, avocado, and black beans in white corn tortilla, with rice and salsa on the side), the perfect antidote to last night’s sugar overload. Tortilla Coast has a history of equal opportunity inauguration specials. For Bush’s reelection in 2005, the restaurant served a Texan-themed platter, which admittedly isn’t much of a stretch for a Tex-Mex restaurant.

I wondered whether the new menu item might alienate Tortilla Coast’s clientele, but the service manager, Brandon West didn’t seem concerned. “Their reaction election night was worse than anything they’ll see here,” West said. “I expect they will be good sports about it. …We get a reputation as a Republican hangout because the RNC is right next door. GOP staffers are [heavily represented] in our bar crowd, but our dining crowd is pretty bi-partisan.”

The Stars and Stripes margarita ($6.50 for a small, $7.50 for large, $23.95 for a pitcher) is a good compliment to Obama’s Huevos, and a suitably patriotic drink for such a historic weekend.

Jake Blumgart is an Editorial Intern at Campus Progress.

Related Stories

• Gender-Neutral Housing Comes to Princeton
• Campaign Communications Director, Repower America
• Toke Up Marijuana Laws
• Send a Health Care E-Card
• The Battle for Pittsburgh