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Obama at Canters tweeted by NYT photographer Stephen Crowley.
After President Obama was finished at this morning's Hollywood high-roller breakfast in Brentwood, the Obamajam motorcade rolled down Fairfax Avenue and stopped outside Canters. The president went in with some media in tow and worked the room a little bit. The Forward blogged, "Over the course of the meal, he sat with a teacher, a wounded veteran, and two women entering the job market, according to Mark Knoller, CBS’s White House correspondent."
There was some audible grumbling in social media about the presidential traffic jam interrupting the routine on North Fairfax. But nothing too bad. When Obama stopped unannounced at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in the height of the evening rush hour in 2011, streets like Pico and LaBrea really got gummed up. This was nothing like that.
Obama was on the way downtown for a talk at Trade-Tech, the only event on this trip to Los Angeles that was not just fundraising for the Democrats. After speaking there within the next hour, the president heads to LAX and leaves town.
Canters, sometimes spelled Canter's by the restaurant (but not on the sign), is the landmark late-night deli that has long been a traditional stop for Democrats campaigjning in the heavily Jewish Fairfax district. Canters, which occupies the former Esquire movie house, used to be located in Boyle Heights (opened there in 1931) but moved from the Eastside in the big Jewish migration west during the baby boom years.
Pres Obama discussing basketball and free-throw abilities with customers at Canter's restaurant in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/EQVITBHuuO
— Stephen Crowley (@Stcrow) July 24, 2014Pres Obama demonstrated his basketball shot to some Deli patrons. "It's my age," he said. "I get the chicken wing." pic.twitter.com/Ip6qQOPC9p
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 24, 2014Pres Obama's lunch guests include a teacher, a wounded veteran, and two women entering job market with different difficulties.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 24, 2014