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President Obama dines at high-end Ala Moana Center restaurant

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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM

Dec. 9, 2016 file photo of the “evening” dining hall in Vintage Cave Cafe, a sister restaurant to the exclusive Vintage Cave, on the ground floor of the Ewa wing in the Ala Moana Center.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama, right, gives a high five to Bobby Titcomb during a round of golf at Mid-Pacific Country Club during his family vacation on Dec. 28, 2015.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Friday in the briefing room of the White House in Washington before departing for Hawaii.

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, dined tonight at Vintage Cave, a high-end French-Japanese restaurant at Ala Moana Center with a $295 tasting menu.

Earlier in the day, he played golf at Mid-Pacific Country Club, one of his usual haunts on his annual vacation in Hawaii.

The White House pool report said Obama was joined by friends Bobby Titcomb and Greg Orme and personal aide Joe Paulsen.

At 7:38 this morning, the presidential motorcade left the Obamas’ beachfront rental house in Kailua for Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where he typically works out at the Semper Fit gym.

The motorcade left the base for Kailua at 9:25 a.m., with local residents along Kaneohe Bay Drive watching it go by from their driveways.

Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz said Obama was briefed by his national security team on the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey in Ankara. He asked for updates “as warranted.”

Obama was back on the move at 10:21 a.m. for the short drive to Mid-Pacific. Spectators on the street threw shakas and recorded photos or video on cell phones, according to the pool.

Under cloudy skies, Obama golfed until 3:36 p.m.

Along South Kalaheo Avenue, two women standing along the road hoisted a large cardboard sign with the handwritten message “4 more Obama!”

The motorcade left for the restaurant, where a tenderloin costs $58, at 6:05 p.m., arriving around 6:40 p.m.

88 responses to “President Obama dines at high-end Ala Moana Center restaurant”

  1. calentura says:

    Meanwhile, back at the rental, Michelle was Hopeless in Hawaii.

    • Keonigohan says:

      KaBoom

      January 20, 2017 #MAGA
      (Can’t come soon enough)

      • sjean says:

        Kaboom is right. Who does President Obama think he is? Some east cast elitist billionaire?

        • Pocho says:

          someone should report this to the Chicago Times for the inner city people to read. Tell em the Truth!

      • Kealaula says:

        Re your note below, the landslide losss went to the king of bankruptcies and bill default, Mr. Trump. 2.8 million more Americans cast their vote for Hillary. You must know that.

        We all want Mr. Trump to succeed, and will hope people can put away the childish hate and vitriol and move forward as Americans.

    • NanakuliBoss says:

      Melania was taking notes on how a first lady should act. No I mean ,word for word, taking notes. I wonder how trumpf will try to hide her?

      • Hodad says:

        I have an entire collection of photos of Malania naked
        The girl.on girl ones are the best.

      • MichaelG says:

        It appears very sick that Ivana, Trump’s daughter will serve as first lady and live in the white house and Melania will live elsewhere. His daughter as first lady??? Serving the President?? sick

      • allie says:

        She may be deported when her immigration status is disclosed. The Trumps lack the education, intelligence, grace and elegance of the Obamas.

        • nalogirl says:

          Fake news from the sore losers. Also, Trump’s daughter’s name is Ivanka.

        • Keonigohan says:

          @ nalogirl
          Great to have a REAL First Family and see how the liberals react to their SHOCKING LANDSLIDE LOSS whinning groping for anything to nit pick.

          NB, Hodad (sick b@st@rd) MichaelG & allie..eat CROW! You guys LOST.. WeThePeople Won!

          January 20, 2017 #MAGA

        • sjean says:

          Nalo, Ivana may be a freudian slip. Donald has alluded to wanting to date his own daughter.

    • TMJ says:

      After this trip, Barry will take Michelle on a well deserved vacation.

      • Keonigohan says:

        Actually vacations as WeThePeople know it is WORK for the O’s…O working on his GOLF GAME, MO working on…on…what does she do? WH is their real vacation where they do NOTHING for the American people.

        • sjean says:

          My life has only gotten better over the past 8 years. Not sure what you mean by noting. My portfolio has more than doubled. The equity on my home as doubled. My health insurance premiums have gone down. Fewer of my close friends have been sent to needless wars. I will sincerely miss President Obama. I do have hope that Donald will make my life even better. I believe he can.

        • dragoninwater says:

          “portfolio has more than doubled & equity on my home as doubled”

          Not relevant to the president. Wall St controls the economy. Wall St. intentionally resets the valuations roughly every decade to get a fresh start when things become stagnant and growth levels off. No different than redecorating your house every decade because you’re tired of the same look. The president is nothing but their puppet and scapegoat to point the finger at someone whenever the 1% elite in this country decide to give the middle finger to the classes below them.

          But the health insurance going down for you might be a very hard one to swallow and believe, you might be a very very rare exception case.

        • sjean says:

          So I can expect trump to not take credit if my fortunes continue? My premiums have gone down (nominally, yet down) as have my copay on meds. My life improves with every year. I thank President Obama for the last 8. I thank GW for the 8 before that. I hope the next four continue in the same vein. My beautiful life won’t be defined by bitter deplorables.

        • dragoninwater says:

          I don’t think you even read the first line in my reply to you: “Not relevant to the president. Wall St controls the economy.” Not sure why you think Trump, Obama or even Bush played any role in the stock market. They all had an influence based on geopolitical situations but neither one of them is to be credited for the growth or demise of the stock market. It’s all controlled by the elite on Wall St.

        • sjean says:

          dragon, where did I imply my portfolio is in wall street? A president influences fiscal policy effecting my long term returns. I wouldn’t drop a dime on the stock market. You are correct. The stock market is a scam.

    • allie says:

      All Americans will have reason to be depressed when Trump’s real policies to enrich the already rich at the expense of the middle class are exposed for what they are. Trump took the voters for a ride.

      • nalogirl says:

        You really think Trump did this for money? What a ridiculous statement. He has enough money that he made without using political influence. He could have let this country continue down this horrible road and enjoyed his life. Instead he decided that the working people in this country need change and he is going to do that. Heknows that his supporters will be watching him, not like all you Obama lover’s who neverquestioned his acts.

    • paradisetax says:

      What’s wrong with having a Costco hot dog?!

  2. bombay2101 says:

    This is SO interesting.
    Did he pick his nose today?

    • klastri says:

      If you aren’t interested in what the President is doing while he’s here (which you appear to be, since you actually took the time to write a comment about it) maybe you can try to develop the self control to not read these articles. Do you think you can struggle up the will to do that?

  3. YOTARE says:

    Hey, cut the guy some slack and let him play some golf. Today was a tough one for Barry. One of his cousins shot a Russian ambassador and another rammed his truck into a group of Germans. If either of them forgot to holler “ALLAHU AKBAR!!” before departing, he might not be enjoying his 72 boy virgins right now.

    It’s a troubling prospect. Let the guy play some golf.

  4. Carang_da_buggahz says:

    GTFO! Hope we never have to see his ugly mug here ever again. Chicago deserves this pestilence.

  5. biggerdog says:

    I want to know how bad he is at golf. I’ve seen his swing and it’s terrible. Can he break 100?

  6. biggerdog says:

    Does he cheat like clinton? I can only imagine, that he does.

  7. justmyview371 says:

    Obama always demands the best. I don’t like the way he ruled the country, but I’m becoming scared about the way Trump and his cretins plan to rule this country and change everything to support the rich and the …. with everybody else.

  8. noheawilli says:

    Well when my wife and I enjoyed the tasting menu there it was fantastic, I’m serious, each bite is Christmas morning. So I’ve paid for this experience once but after seeing this article, I guesss I’ve paid for it twice. My debt= 0. The president and his company just shy of $20 trillion in debt so what’s another $1200 added to the till?

    • NanakuliBoss says:

      More false info. The president pays his restaraunt bill. Oh and do you live in the USA? If so then that company with the 20 trillion is you and GOP and Bush and so on. Own it.

      • sandi2000 says:

        NanakuliBoss. Note that Bush left office with a 9T debt…Obama called him unAmerican for it. Obama will leave office with a 20T debt. He spent more money than all past presidents put together since Washington. Will you see this on CNN…of course not.

        • Keonigohan says:

          KaBoom!
          You just overwhelmed NB with INFO!

        • Cellodad says:

          Could you folks please stop making things up that are so easy to Fact Check? As I’ve mentioned before, if you are going to make things up, make up stuff that’s nearly impossible to check. Try something like “Obama is the spawn of Space Aliens and Trump is the Orange version of the Son of God. That kind of thing is really difficult to check.

        • NanakuliBoss says:

          Sandi, Bush left office will thousands of troops stranded in Iraq. Also unpaid war credit cards. Cheney scored big on Halliburton war contracts. We still are paying for Iraq mess. Bush retired to painting ranch scenes. Cheney has a second life after jumping thousands of kids and adults on the heart transplant list. Halliburton has been good to him. History will show that the best POTUS Obama, was sandwiched in between the worst presidents, Bush and trumpf, the GOP could produce.

        • NanakuliBoss says:

          Let’s call it the Reverse Oreo effect.

  9. willman says:

    Did he have crow for dinner ?

    • raiderDogs says:

      No Hillary and Bill bought out the year’s supply of Crow to feed to their aides.

      • cojef says:

        Latest poop, may be investigating 50 million dollars travel budget for one of their tax-free family charitable foundation? Where or who donate these amounts? Who or what charitable work requires this amount of travel and how much was actually given/used to benefit the needy? Pie in the sky alms given to campaign staff?

    • NanakuliBoss says:

      Do you think trumpf would eat at Zippy’$? Or pizza hut? King trumpf only dines at 5 star restaurants. Wait till he starts firing WH cooks.lol.

  10. st1d says:

    with a legacy of winning a nobel peace prize he is much better than us and deserves to dine in luxury while the rest of his constituency wallows in the throes of neurotic hopelessness.

    after today’s third election rejection of hilary clinton, the obamas should be allowed to celebrate the electoral college vote results as they please.

    enjoy your stay in hawaii, president obama, and thank you for paving the way for trump’s inauguration as president of the united states.

    and like the rest of the tourists: don’t forget to go back home.

  11. foliefolie says:

    I guess all of you Obama haters think you can do a better job at being POTUS. Get real!

    Oh yeah, we have Trump who does not feel he needs security briefings every day because he is smart. And for a guy who accused Clinton of being tied to Wall Street and lobbyists, look at the people Trump has selected for his Cabinet. Not much different.

  12. Hawaii_Libertarian says:

    I wonder how many people got their lives disrupted tonight by his visit to Ala Moana Center during the peak holiday shopping season. It’s all about him–he doesn’t seem to care that the rest of us have to suffer whenever he shows up anywhere with the draconian security cocoon that follows him.

    • koae says:

      Hawaii_Libertarian, was your life disrupted by Obama’s visit to the restaurant? And did you suffer? You poor thing! Maybe Santa will give you a nice gift and all will be better.

  13. lespark says:

    What happen to Allie, Klastri, keaukaka, Nanakuli boss? Kitchen duty? Jokester one and all.

  14. deepdiver311 says:

    while barry dines at the top restaurants the homeless go unfed
    auwe!

  15. islandsun says:

    Maybe he should round up Caldwell and go perform a public service together

  16. mijoeca says:

    Enjoy this while you can because in another couple of weeks you will have to start picking up the tab yourself. Enough of this getting the taxpayer to pay your tabs at the most expensive places in town.

  17. reamesr1 says:

    It is interesting to read all of the comments about the Obama’s the Clinton’s Trump and so on. But Hawaii residence don’t give a hoot about YOUR OWN corrupt Police Chief, Deputy Prosecutor, the Mayor, Homelessness and of course OHA. Really: Hawaii has bigger problems and the amazing thing is the lack of involvement by the local population. You just keep voting these losers into office. TIME TO WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. Big C says:

    Welcome to the Obama family! We love you all. Happy Holidays!

  19. Bdpapa says:

    I have no problem with what they do while they are here and what they spend. But it doesn’t need to be advertised. The less press they receive is better for them and us.

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