A Presidential Dinner

Last Monday my husband and I were invited to the White House for dinner. (And yes, we were on the guest list!:))

The great thing is that dinning at the White House, the Anaheim White House that is, doesn’t require a cross-country flight! The restaurant, fashioned and structured just like its large-scale counterpart in Washington DC, is just minutes away from Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center. (And if you’re at either of these spots and you don’t stop in to eat, you’re missing out on a real treasure!)

Cozy warm lights spill out of the white walls as we drive into the valet-parking lot. I jump out of the car and start snapping pictures. The establishment is complete with white-washed statues and a sprawling lawn.

It is a Monday evening right before Thanksgiving. I figure this close to the holiday and it being a Monday night, we will be one of the few dinner. I am very wrong! The dining tables are filled with business people , families and scattering of young couples. My husband and I (yes, I got married since my last blog!!) are seated in a cozy spot by a window in the front room.

As I unfold my napkin, I lean over to my husband, "I feel like you're the President, and I'm the First-”. I stop myself and retract. "I mean, I feel like I'm the President and you're the First Man," I say. We smile. Our dinning room is one of many small rooms, with names like the West Wing, Barack Obama Room and the George Washington Room.

Under the direction of owner, Bruno Serato, the menu features Northern Italian cuisine, and he’s got it nailed!

We start off with an appetizer of Pacific Calamari Donna Karen. All I can say to this is that I never knew calamari could be prepared this tender! I’m sold first bite.

I follow this with Ahi Coco Chanel and a side order of Asparagus. The list of celebrities who’ve flown or drove in to eat at Anaheim White house is as varied as the dish names. (Their photos adorn the back walls near the bathrooms, so make sure you check it out!) The tuna is seared rare and comes in a truly delectable citrus vinaigrette that nods at the establishment’s history, built in 1906 as a home among an orange grove.

Scott, my husband, orders Manzo Brasato Beckham, a braised beef in a Cabernet reduction. (Check out the fun presentation of his dish in adjacent photo!!). He doesn’t speak much during dinner, and this means only one thing: its divine!

Just when we think we cannot eat another bite, our waiter (nice, informative, professional staff, btw) presents us with a dessert menu. As we are about to nod it off, he mentions the selections are homemade. I am glad he insists. We end dinner, after pats on the back from Bruno, with coffee and homemade desserts, an apple tart and tiramisu that lingers in my mind long after it has satisfied my taste buds.

My inaugural visit to Anaheim White House has been both a visual and culinary delight!

Check out the menu at: www.anaheimwhitehouse.com