Obama Eats Meat and Potatoes at Hamersley's Bistro

President Obama kicked off his Massachusetts campaigning Monday with three fundraising events, including taking over Hamersley's Bistro in the South End for an afternoon roundtable to the tune of $40,000 per plate. The 25 guests spent a cocktail hour dining on hors d'oeuvres such as local strawberries wrapped in prosciutto, crispy fried clams on toasted brioche with remoulade sauce, grilled Louisiana shrimp flamed with Pernod, Provencal stuffed eggs with olive tapenade, and spicy hummus on fried tortillas. (Enjoying some of these dishes on a non-presidential night will only set you back $10 or so.)

Later, President Obama himself dined on pan-roasted beef with truffle-infused potatoes, asparagus, and red wine sauce. "Up to the last second, we had no idea whether he would choose our food or his own brought from the plane," said Chef Gordon Hamersley. "In the end he decided on our food!"

· Chef keeps menu at $40K-per-plate Obama fund-raiser a secret [GS]
· All coverage of Hamersley’s Bistro on Eater [~EBOS~]