Not the news anyone wants to hear about their favorite restaurant: Smith Commons, a D.C. eatery where Obama dined with supporters last October during the "Dinner with Barack" campaign series, was recently closed for health violations.
District of Columbia health inspectors cited Smith Commons for operating without hot water and without a staff member certified in managing food safety.
The trained staff member is required to identify health risks in the kitchen and hot water is required for hand washing.
District of Columbia Health Department documents indicate the hot water at Smith Commons was recorded at 62 degrees.
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Dinner With Barack
Online records show that Smith Commons was inspected on March 11. In addition to the problems noted by WUSA9, mold was found on an ice machine's drip panel and the restaurant was operating with an expired license.
During a follow-up inspection on March 19, the restaurant was found to be operating without hot water and an employee was cited for using bare hands on food. Additionally, the inspector noted that the restaurant had no certified food protection manager on duty -- an oversight which might help explain the other violations.
But fans of the restaurant's braised short ribs, spice-rubbed duck breast and bourbon bread pudding can take heart: the March 20 reinstatement report finds that "ALL ITEMS ABATED FROM PREVIOUS INSPECTION CONDUCTED."
Make your reservations online, and -- assuming you don't mind being ogled by a counter-sniper team while you dine -- cross your fingers that the president will also be back for a return visit.