The President and First Lady are enjoying a night out Wednesday, dining with friends at the downtown Edgartown restaurant Alchemy.
According to the White House, the Obamas are having dinner with former attorney general Eric Holder and his wife, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and her husband, and former U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk and his wife.
This is the President's first White House visit to Alchemy, a two-story restaurant that is open year-round, with bars on both floors and a second story porch overlooking Edgartown's Main street. The presidential visit has closed traffic for two blocks surrounding the restaurant, between Church street and North Water street, with local police waving cars down side streets as they came into town.
As the sun was setting, the street and the restaurant were filled with the usual summer crowds. People stopped to take pictures or survey the scene, which included Secret Service agents and several vehicles stationed behind yellow police tape in front of the restaurant. Onlookers passed by walking dogs or carrying cups of ice cream, while one couple asked a Secret Service agent how they could get to Isola, a restaurant located through a parking lot behind Alchemy. Security was stationed on the second story of Edgartown town hall across the street from the restaurant.
Earlier in the day, the President hit the links at Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs with golf partners Alonzo Mourning, Ray Allen, and Cyrus Walker. According to the White House, Mr. Obama also called former President Jimmy Carter to wish him a full and speedy recovery. Mr. Carter revealed on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
This is the second time in as many days that White House excitement has come to Edgartown. On Tuesday, Mrs. Obama and the couple's daughters had lunch at Atlantic Fish & Chop House, a few blocks down Main street from Alchemy.