Food blogging is filled with perks.  It’s not why I became a blogger (I didn’t know this when I started out), but it’s one of the things that makes it so addicting!  Foodbuzz is amazing when it comes to sharing perks with their Featured Publishers, and their 24, 24, 24, monthly dinners are a perfect example.

My first 24, 24, 24 dinner, City Girl Goes Organic, was much different from this month’s Eat Like a U.S. President.  Hosted in my own home with me doing the majority of the planning, organizing and cooking, it was a far cry from the stress-free dinners we enjoyed this month!

Eat Like a U.S. President is basically just that – my family and I eating in restaurants that have been frequented by U.S. Presidents.  Simple and easy, but very, very delicious!

Our first restaurant was The Red Fox Inn in Middleburg, VA.  We’ve eaten there several times in the six months that we’ve lived in Northern Virginia, and there’s a reason for that: amazing food, service and atmosphere – smack in the middle of one of the quaintest and most well-preserved towns in America.  The wait staff is always friendly and outgoing, the food always perfectly seasoned and piping hot.  George Washington visited the Inn sometime around 1748, and a press conference was once held there for President Kennedy.  Under glass in the hostess station are elegant hand-written notes from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who stayed there on several occasions.

For this visit, our server was Chelsey, a top-notch server who was the perfect combination of friendly and professional (we liked her so much that we inquired about hiring her as a part-time babysitter)!  The food was great, as usual; I had eggs benedict and Alan had a crab-asparagus omelet with mozzarella.  Katie, our two-year-old, gobbled up her fresh blueberry waffles, and they made a special grilled cheese for Kylie, our picky four-year-old.  We sat outside on their lovely patio in perfect temperatures.  A lovely experience – thanks, Red Fox Inn!

Our next stop was Five Guys, the best burger joint on the East Coast.  Again, this wasn’t the first time we’d eaten here.  On par as usual, our burgers were fresh and juicy, with fries that are second only to the West Coast’s chain In ‘n Out (although they’re darn close).  They’re always hot and fresh with just the right amount of salt…YUM!!  The thing about this place is that you pay just one price for your burger, then add all the toppings you want at no extra charge.  I’m partial to jalapenos, mushrooms, tomatoes and mayo, while Alan likes barbecue sauce on his (no comment).  But, if you’d like to eat like President Obama, order yours with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers, and mustard!  I tried Obama’s version this trip, and he’s got some great tasted in burgers!  (Rumor has it Obama also snacked on peanuts)!

Our final stop was Peking Gourmet Inn in Falls Church.  I wanted to choose something different to round out our menu choices, and chinese food fit the bill.  A long-standing favorite of the Bush family, Peking Gourmet Inn is just about the best chinese food around.  I spent some time reading some reviews about it on Yelp (something I always, always do before trying a new restaurant), and the general consensus seemed to be “Try the Peking Duck”.  No exaggeration here – everyone who wrote reviews – even the folks who didn’t care for the place – all agreed that the Peking Duck was better than any you’ll find anywhere, even in Chinatown.  You can see where this is going…we tried the Peking Duck.  And it was fabulous!

But before we get to that, let me tell you first that the Bush family – starting with Bush Sr. – have been regulars so long that they no longer order off the menu – the waiters already know what they want.  The pictures that line the walls of Peking Gourmet Inn are filled with faces of politicians who have dined there.  After reading all the hype and knowing Alan’s love for chinese food, I knew this was a place we had to try.

The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s pricey for a Chinese restaurant – the Jeo-Yan Shrimp we ordered was $25.95, and the Peking Duck $38.00.  Yet as soon as they arrived with that beautifully roasted duck, perfectly brown and crispy, we knew it was money well spent.  They carve it table-side, and they carve it quickly and precisely.  The girls were entranced watching her skillfully slice the meat, and I have to admit that I was, too!  Our waiter joined her and as she sliced, he assembled some of the meat onto a scallion pancake, where he added sauce, fresh scallion and cucumbers then folded it “burrito-style”, as he called it.  He made one of these for each of us before leaving us to attempt it on our own.  The duck was by far the hit of the night – it was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and was more than enough meat to serve all of us.  The shrimp was delicious, too – huge yet tender and perfectly cooked, seasoned with freshly diced ginger, black pepper, garlic and onion.  While these could have benefited from a dipping sauce, they were still darn amazing!

The service at Peking Gourmet Inn was exceptional, too.  There are so many servers and wait staff (really, it was quite impressive) that it would be difficult not to give great service.  Our waiter was charming and attentive, and gave the impression he’d been with Peking Gourmet for some time.  It was worth the 45 minute drive; we’ll definitely go back.  And if you decide to try it, make sure you get a reservation; by 7pm there was a line out the door.

All in all, this was another truly amazing 24, 24, 24 dining experience.  It’s always fun to both try new restaurants as well as give kudos to those you already know are well-deserving.

Time to go enjoy some leftovers!

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