President Obama cleared his schedule — and probably his plate — for his commander-in-chef’s wedding Saturday night.
Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were guests at the nuptials of Sam Kass, their devoted family chef, and MSNBC host Alex Wagner.
The well-connected couple was set to be married at a trendy farm-to-table restaurant in Westchester County called Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills.
The upscale restaurant doesn’t have traditional menus but offers a “grazing, pecking, rooting” selection of in-season foods and flavors for $198, or just two items for $138.
Blue Hill executive chef Dan Barber is one of Kass’ mentors.
“He is on the forefront of a social movement,” Barber said of Kass toThe New York Times. “I have watched it with admiration.”
Kass, 34, is a longtime Obama family friend, going back to when they lived in Chicago.
He took charge of the kitchen when Obama was a freshman senator and his working wife juggled the needs of their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, and sought to keep them healthy.
Kass won’t dish on the First Family’s menus, but he told Vogue there’s always a vegetable, he tries for all wholes grains and cooks fish, chicken and “a good steak now and again.”
He was offered a job in 2009 to whip up the family’s meals in the White House. Kass now enjoys golf outings with the President and has become a senior food policy adviser for the First Lady’s Let’s Move! anti-obesity campaign.
Earlier this month, Obama spent five hours at Kass’ Washington apartment for a dinner, showing the strength of their food and friendship bond.
Kass and Wagner, 36, met at a party following the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. For one of their dates, Kass managed to open Nationals Park one afternoon to have a catch with Wagner, an avid Washington Nationals fan, according to a Vogue magazine article in January.
Besides the nation’s First Couple, the guest list is expected to include White House staff and personalities and employees from the liberal-leaning cable news outlet.
Last October, Obama hosted a Rose Garden wedding for Pete Souza, his chief official photographer. In June 2012, the Obamas attended the Chicago wedding of the daughter of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
With News Wire Services
