President Obama Eats at Stanford
- by Guest
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but some pictures are truly priceless — like the one above.
At the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection that convened at Stanford University in Stanford, CA, the Bon Appétit team at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business got to not only cater the event but also meet the president — at his request!
The proud chefs: Stanford GSB Sous Chef Luis Ayala, VMware Executive Chef Matthew Dark, and Stanford GSB Executive Chef Jon Sodini
President Barack Obama was so impressed by his meal that he personally requested the team to stick around so he could thank them individually. It was wonderful that all the team’s hard work was so appreciated.
With only three days’ notice, heavy security, and challenges such as limited cooking space, utensils, and equipment, it had to be all hands on deck! Stanford GSB Executive Chef Jon Sodini, Catering Manager Ruby Aikman, and General Manager Daniel Salk enlisted Executive Chef Matthew Dark of VMware and Executive Chef Ryan Smith of eBay and Paypal for help.
It was an honor; they knew the days would be long but the reward great! Jon and the culinary team’s menu was based upon the presidential team’s requests for beef with healthy vegetable sides and a light dessert: medallions of SunFed Ranch grass-fed beef tenderloin (or grilled portabello mushroom) with beluga lentil–brown rice pilaf, sautéed broccolini and Bloomsdale spinach, Full Belly Farm spring onions, and Riverdog Farm green garlic chimichurri sauce.
Dessert consisted of fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blood-orange zest with a side of vanilla chantilly cream. Of course, the team was also seriously starstruck. Daniel exclaimed, “We take pride in providing excellent daily service, but let’s face it: This is the President of the United States!”
Submitted by Daniel Salk, General Manager, and Cara Brechler, Marketing Director