# Trump at dinner - an interesting vignette on the private Trump you don't see **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996 "2017-02-28T00:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/1 "2017-02-28T00:19:00Z")
Politics aside I found this quite interesting to read re all the prep that goes into a President dining out. [Inside Trump’s Secret Dinner: A Side of the President You Don’t Ever See](http://ijr.com/2017/02/810965-trump-ditched-the-press-to-have-dinner-heres-how-the-president-acts-when-no-one-is-watching/) > [@](#): > > The president was heading to his new flagship property in D.C., the Trump Hotel, for a private dinner at the BLT Steakhouse inside. Once the president arrived at the location, the reporter who was on assignment to cover him, Jordan Fabian of The Hill, was not let into the building and had to wait in the van outside for the remainder of the dinner, without a guest list or details of what was happening inside. > > Inside the restaurant, I was seated at a table which I had booked hours earlier, directly next to where Trump would be dining. I made the booking based on a tip from a trusted source. I was ready to tell the story no one else would get to see and was personally fascinated to observe how a restaurant prepares for a president — and how Trump interacts when he believes no press are present. > > The night was a wild one. Here is what happens when President Trump goes to dinner. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/2 "2017-02-28T00:24:37Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Politics aside I found this quite interesting to read re all the prep that goes into a President dining out. > [Inside Trump’s Secret Dinner: A Side of the President You Don’t Ever See](http://ijr.com/2017/02/810965-trump-ditched-the-press-to-have-dinner-heres-how-the-president-acts-when-no-one-is-watching/) I’ve seen snippets of this elsewhere on the web. A well done steak with catsup. That should be impeachable right there. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/3 "2017-02-28T00:50:21Z")
I wouldn’t care if he ate his steak well-done with A-1 sauce. What I care about is what he does during the daytime. But one detail struck me. If Ivanka and hubby are as Orthodox Jewish as claimed there is no way they would have eaten at a non-kosher restaurant. Even if they didn’t eat the shrimp, a non-kosher kitchen cannot serve a kosher meal, at least not to the satisfaction of an Orthodox Jew. Is this story real? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/4 "2017-02-28T01:03:34Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I’ve seen snippets of this elsewhere on the web. A well done steak with catsup. That should be impeachable right there. but it explains why Trump Steaks were so terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/5 "2017-02-28T02:13:13Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Even if they didn’t eat the shrimp, a non-kosher kitchen cannot serve a kosher meal, at least not to the satisfaction of an Orthodox Jew. Is this story real? They are Orthodox, yes. But there are things an observant Jew can have at a non-kosher restaurant. Interestingly, your question raises one of the main reasons an observant Jew might not wish to eat at a non-kosher restaurant: _maris ayin_, the prohibition against doing a halakically permitted act that nonetheless appears to an observer to be forbidden. A classic example might be eating a cheeseburger made using pareve cheese substitute. Only the most ultra-frum would say that an observant Jew could not have a beer, for example. Coffee or tea, served in a glass or disposable container, should be fine. A garden salad with vinegar and oil dressing should be fine. A fresh fruit platter should be fine, too. Do we know what they ordered? ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/6 "2017-02-28T02:54:52Z")
Oh, the comments section! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/7 "2017-02-28T03:07:27Z")
Ketchup ?? Steak ?? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/8 "2017-02-28T03:39:09Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Ketchup ?? Steak ?? Dry-aged, no less. I want to cry. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/9 "2017-02-28T03:42:04Z")
Two things stand out. Trump doesn’t realize that **Saturday Night Live** is, for the most part _live TV_, it’s not filmed. Also bacon strips hanging from clothes pins count as a appetizer? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/10 "2017-02-28T04:11:58Z")
They film the SNL dress rehearsal at 8:00 PM and keep the tape for use if needed. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/11 "2017-02-28T04:15:49Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > They film the SNL dress rehearsal at 8:00 PM and keep the tape for use if needed. They also film the ‘real’ performance and tape delay it for us west coast folks. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/12 "2017-02-28T09:17:37Z")
I think the bacon starter tells you all you need to know about that restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/13 "2017-02-28T10:18:14Z")
According to the [online menu](http://bltrestaurants.com/index.php?aam_media=2619), those four strips of laundered bacon cost $15. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/14 "2017-02-28T10:53:25Z")
That was a good read. But a well-done steak? Jeebus. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/15 "2017-02-28T10:56:23Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Even if they didn’t eat the shrimp, a non-kosher kitchen cannot serve a kosher meal, at least not to the satisfaction of an Orthodox Jew. Is there a kosher restaurant nearby? Surely it would be simple to pass the order on? Are orthodox Jews allowed to eat a kosher meal in the company of non-kosher meals? ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/16 "2017-02-28T11:41:26Z")
**’The woman next to me screams “Is it him? It’s really him! Oh my God! This is like a dream!”'** ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/17 "2017-02-28T11:55:29Z")
The headline makes it sound like the article is going to be a revelation. The reality was very dull. Quick summary for those who haven’t time to read the article for themselves: Trump goes to dinner with family and advisors at his hotel. Security is tight. Staff and other guests fawn over him. The End. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/18 "2017-02-28T12:00:20Z")
A wild and crazy night? After reading what I thought was this piece was rather creepy of the reporter. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/19 "2017-02-28T12:44:16Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is there a kosher restaurant nearby? Surely it would be simple to pass the order on? Are orthodox Jews allowed to eat a kosher meal in the company of non-kosher meals? There’s not a single standard, even amongst Jews that identify as Orthodox. One view would prohibit an Orthodox Jew from even entering a _trief_ restaurant. The _gadol_ Rav Moshe writes: > [@](#): > > …even to go in there in order to eat food that is certainly kosher is forbidden because of mar’it ayin. However, if he is extremely famished, to the extent that it causes him severe discomfort, and there is nowhere else to eat, he may go there to eat kosher food, on the condition that this is done in private, because in cases of severe discomfort or monetary loss, the rabbis did not enact their decrees (see Ketubot p.60). (from Iggros Moshe). A more lenient ruling can be found from later Ravs, and even Rav Moshe says in his Hakdamah that every Rav in each generation must discover what he calls _ha’emet le-hora’ah_, the truth of an issue that follows from a Torah scholar’s careful analysis of the question. For purposes of this thread, I think it’s sufficient to say that many Orthodox authorities can be read to permit an observant Jew to eat certain kosher foods at a non-kosher restaurant under various circumstances. But it’s also fair to say that there are plenty of limitations. A glass of wine may be otherwise kosher, for example, but an observant Jew cannot generally drink it if it was poured by a non-Jew. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996/20 "2017-02-28T13:24:49Z")
More simply, is there an issue of respect or politeness here that orthodox law addresses? Is it okay to accept a non-kosher meal from someone in Trump’s position? Probably dating back to when a refusal might have been fatal, of course. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-at-dinner-an-interesting-vignette-on-the-private-trump-you-dont-see/780996.md?page=2)