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9 Restaurants With Secret Service Entrances

9 Restaurants With Secret Service Entrances
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Conde Nast Traveler

Conde Nast Traveler
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With the White House, more than 160 embassies, and Congress all in our nation's capitol, it's no surprise that certain D.C. restaurants have garnered a loyal following of high-profile politicos. But unlike us common folk, they can't just waltz right in for spaghetti. If the Obamas want a date night, reservations are made, the restaurant is swept by the Secret Service, the streets are closed down, and the couple enters through a private entrance.

Where do they find these out-of-sight entrances? At places like Morton's Steakhouse on Connecticut Avenue and P.J. Clarke's on K Street -- and at these nine restaurants, which have all mastered the art of inconspicuous dining.

This story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveler's website.

-- Kate Parham, Condé Nast Traveler

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    • Restaurants With Secret Services Entrances
    BLUE DUCK TAVERN AT PARK HYATT WASHINGTON(01 of07)
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    Tucked inside the Park Hyatt Washington Hotel, Blue Duck Tavern has a side door—it’s non-descriptive and sans signage—on M Street, which puts guests right at a private chef’s table.The Obamas celebrated their 17th anniversary here, one of several meals for the first family at the contemporary American restaurant.Read More: Tourist Trap AlternativesCOURTESY OF PARK HYATT WASHINGTON
    CARMINE'S(02 of07)
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    Members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, and Supreme Court Justices have all dined at the family-style Southern Italian restaurant Carmine’s in Penn Quarter (and Speaker of the House John Boehner is a regular).VIPs usually walk in through an entrance made specifically for those with secret service or private security details—although Vice President Joe Biden walked right through the front door when he came to eat.Read More: The Top 100 Hotels in the WorldCOURTESY OF CARMINE'S
    MARI VANNA(03 of07)
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    Considering its timing (it's opening right before the inauguration) and its prime location (it's steps from the Presidentially pedigreed Mayflower Hotel and just five blocks from the White House), new Russian eatery Mari Vanna planned accordingly and built a Secret Service entrance behind the kitchen with two side doors, one of which leads to a secret VIP staircase, the other to the bar.If the D.C. location is anything like the one in New York, Mari Vanna can expect to see the likes of the Clintons regularly.Read More: Coolest Themed Hotel Rooms Around the WorldPHOTOGRAPH BY TRAVIS VAUGHN/COURTESY OF MARI VANNA
    ROOF TERRACE RESTAURANT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER(04 of07)
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    On the top level of the Kennedy Center is the Roof Terrace Restaurant, which overlooks the Potomac. The eatery has multiple entrances from both the parking garage and street level, and though these doors and elevators are usually open to the public, when a celeb comes through they are cordoned off into private VIP passageways. They’re frequently used for events such as the Mark Twain Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors, which have brought in bigshots like Oprah, Buddy Guy, and Paul McCartney.Read More: The Best Cruise Ships in the WorldCOURTESY OF RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES
    RIS(05 of07)
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    When Michelle Obama selected global restaurant RIS for lunch in 2010, she likely employed the separate VIP entrance on 23rd Street. Kathy Griffin also opted to film an episode of My Life on the D-List at RIS in the private dining room.Read More: 10 of the Snowiest Places Around the WorldCOURTESY OF RIS
    WESTEND BISTRO AT THE RITZ CARLTON(06 of07)
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    Those looking for privacy at Westend Bistro, inside the Ritz Carlton Hotel, can use the kitchen’s private entrance before slipping into a nearby booth.Secret Service cars have been known to stage on M Street, though VIPs staying at the hotel also have private elevators that lead them from their rooms to the kitchen.Read More: Subway Stations With Incredible ArtCOURTESY OF THE RITZ CARLTON
    PLUME AT THE JEFFERSON HOTEL(07 of07)
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    Plume at The Jefferson Hotel, Obama’s number-one fundraising spot in the city, has four private entrances for high-profile guests. Although President Obama always uses the back entrance—so frequently that the hotel staff has dubbed it the “BaRack entrance”—former President Bill Clinton walked in through the front door during a recent visit. “He’s just so full of charisma,” says managing director Philip Wood.See all photos of Secret Service entrancesCOURTESY THE JEFFERSON HOTEL

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