President Obama will return to his hometown of Chicago Thursday afternoon where he will raise some money for his re-election bid, hang with an NBA star and eat some top-notch food.
The president is expected to arrive at O'Hare International Airport about 5 p.m., after meeting with Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar in Washington.
First, Obama will deliver remarks at a $5,000 to $15,000-per-plate fundraiser at N9NE Steakhouse. He might not stay for dinner, however, since he is scheduled to speak at MK Restaurant at 7:35 p.m. The MK fundraiser costs a whopping a $35,800-per-person and 312 Dining Diva's Audarshia Townsend reports that the president will stay for dinner there.
A sample of the menu:
Hors d'oeurvres
Lobster
griddled maine lobster sandwichesPerch
sweet water organics farm raised perch, Fish Bar tartar sauceSteak
Tallgrass beef tartare, parmigiano-reggianoDinner
Maine salmon
black pepper & tarragon demi-cured maine salmon, asparagus, shaved fennel, preserved lemon emulsionScallops/short ribs
seared maine diver sea scallops, rosemary braised short ribs, parsnip puree, roasted carrots
Check out the full menu here.
After dinner, President Obama will head to Navy Pier. The "fundraising kickoff" in Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom is the cheapest of the three DNC fundraisers Thursday, costing between $100 and $250 per person. The Chicago Tribune reports that Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose will also attend the Navy Pier event.
The L.A. Times reported Thursday that Rose isn't the only Chicago all-star that will attend the Navy Pier event:
According to a Democratic source ... All-Pro Pittsburgh Steeler and University of Illinois alum Rashard Mendenhall, and none other than Mr. Cub himself, Earnie Banks, will be on hand for the biggest of the three fundraisers, a low-dollar event targeting Obama's younger supporters at the city's Navy Pier. Grammy Award-winner Colbie Caillat will perform.
...
Obama's former chief of staff and Chicago's mayor-elect, Rahm Emanuel, will also be on hand.
He will reportedly spend the night in his Hyde Park home before returning to the White House on Friday. The president and First Lady Michelle Obama will be back in Chicago on April 27 to tape an interview for "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The interview will air on May 2.