Obama takes Michelle on a dinner date

Promise kept

The first couple, who flew-in from Washington, ate at Blue Hill, a restaurant off Washington Square Park that specialises in cuisine from the Hudson Valley, and went to the Belasco Theatre near Times Square for a performance of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” the Tony-nominated August Wilson play. It was the Obamas’ first joint visit to the city as the first couple.


“I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished,” the president said in a statement. The presidential date night began with a late-afternoon flight from Andrews Air Force Base. They landed at Kennedy International Airport and after taking a quick helicopter ride to Lower Manhattan, the presidential motorcade snaked its way up to Blue Hill restaurant. The Obamas arrived at the theatre in a black stretch limousine just before 8 pm, but lines at the metal detectors delayed the show more than 45 minutes.

While the Obamas’ visit was considered private, there was some very public criticism of the trip. In a press release, the Republican National Committee said the outing was inappropriate and that Obama was out of touch, especially given the looming bankruptcy of General Motors.