Inaugural Balls Where Food Isn't An Afterthought

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Guests arrive for the Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball in Washington back in 2005 to celebrate President Bush's second term.

Guests arrive for the Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball in Washington back in 2005 to celebrate President Bush's second term.

Like everyone else in Washington, D.C., right now, we're gearing up for the long inaugural weekend, bracing ourselves for various events and balls around town that can be thrilling, patriotic, touristy and traffic-jamming, all at the same time.

And while we take issue with the gross mischaracterization of these parties as "the Oscars for the style-challenged," we must admit, the predictable buffets that have characterized the official balls in the past don't really help D.C.'s rep with the glitterati.

Naturally, the president will eat well maybe 3,000 calories too well, and that's just lunch. (Call it a presidential tradition: Apparently, Abraham Lincoln enjoyed five courses of meat after his second inaugural.) But for most of us little people, it's often been long lines for cold food, just for a chance to see POTUS and FLOTUS take an awkward spin onstage for a few minutes.

But if you go the unofficial ball route, there's bound to be interesting food aplenty. Here are a few exceptions we bet will beat the rubber chicken brigade:

ChurchKey's Inaugural Brewer's Ball: As you might imagine, this "ball" at a hot restaurant in Logan Circle will focus on beer of all kinds, but it will also feature pastries, because executive chef Kyle Bailey and pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac are hosting. "Oysters with green apple mignonette, pulled pork on corn grits, house-made charcuterie and cheese" will be served, says Megan Bailey, director of public relations for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which runs ChurchKey. Tickets are $150 for the Monday night event.

The 2013 Ambassadors Inaugural Ball will be held at the Washington Historical Society Monday night, right across from the commander in chief's official ball. "We wanted to give our guests the feeling of being as close to the action as possible," says spokeswoman Trea Day. It's sponsored by the various embassies around town and will nod to the exotic flavors of their various countries through desserts incorporating cayenne, curry and saffron. Plus Biz Markie entertains!

Then there are the various state society balls, the most famous being Texas' Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball, especially when the Bushes were in town. This year, it's being held on Saturday night in Maryland, at the Gaylord National Resort at National Harbor. Cowboy hats optional, barbecue mandatory. Tickets are $250 for members, $275 for nonmembers.

And what about the Black McDonald's Operators Association Inaugural Ball at the City Club Monday night? Will they serve the fries that almost launched a boycott by the Brits at the Olympics last summer? We're waiting for a callback about the menu.

Got more goods? Tweet us your favorite food moments of the weekend and stay tuned for our slide show on Tuesday.

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Health Benefits Of Tea: Milking It Or Not

The Emperor's Himalayan lavender tea is popular at Washington, D.C.'s Park Hyatt Tea Room, but please don't put milk in it.

The Emperor's Himalayan lavender tea is popular at Washington, D.C.'s Park Hyatt Tea Room, but please don't put milk in it.

The idea that milk may diminish the potential heart-health benefits of tea has been a topic of some debate. Lots of us can't imagine black tea without a little dairy to cut the bitterness. But, according to this research going back to 2007, we might want to at least consider trying, say, a nice cup of green tea sans sugar or cream.

Why? Well to get to the bottom of this issue, last week I spent an afternoon at the Fifth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health, where I picked the brains of lots of researchers.

Turns out, there seems to be a consensus about one thing: Milk proteins can bind with the beneficial plant compounds known as flavonols in tea. (You may have heard these compounds referred to by specific names such as catechins.) And, according to some scientists, the binding may make it tough for the body to absorb the flavonols and get the health benefits.

There are lots of potential health benefits of tea. Take, for instance, weight maintenance. Rick Hursel of Maastricht University Medical Centre in Holland has published a review study that finds green tea may slightly increase metabolism.

"We've shown that green tea is able to increase your energy expenditure, so the amount of calories you burn, and also to increase the amount of fat you are burning," says Hursel.

Now, before you get too excited, it's important to point out that the weight loss effects are small and perhaps only fleeting. But Hursel says the interesting thing is that, in a separate study he published, he found that when milk is added to tea, the metabolic effects are inhibited. "Something happens which we don't want to happen," explains Hursel.

This effect has also been observed among scientists who study tea's influence on blood vessel health. Preliminary studies suggest that flavonols in tea play a role in helping to regulate blood pressure. But, again, the effect seems diminished when milk proteins are present.

Now, not all scientists are convinced that the effects of milk are strong enough to cancel out potential health benefits.

"There's no convincing evidence that milk is a problem," says Alan Crozier of the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He explains that teas are loaded with beneficial flavonols, and typically people only add a little milk to a cup of tea.

"The amount of milk is not going to greatly interfere with the way they're [catechins] absorbed," says Crozier. Milk proteins may slow down the process, "but there's no evidence that they cause irreversible binding." And his hunch is that the milk does not stop the bioactive compounds (catechins) from being absorbed.

There's another reason some people may avoid milk in their tea. For certified tea sommelier Robert Rex-Waller of the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., it's about enjoying the distinct flavors of teas on their own.

Rex-Waller oversees the tea program at the hotel, which serves 50 rare teas from all over the world and showcases the very finest in a glass tea humidor. He's learned to enjoy the taste of pure, green tea.

"There are some teas where I'd cringe a little if someone poured milk in," he says.

He suggests that people take a sip first, before adding any milk. But, he says, tea is for enjoyment people should just prepare their tea the way they like it. "Everyone has their own preferences."

Green tea sans milk and sugar may be a struggle in our society, which seems to have a communal sweet tooth and a penchant for cream. Even Starbucks serves up a sweetened green tea latte with steamed milk.

So here's one idea: If you prefer black tea with milk and sugar, drink it with breakfast.

Then, later in the day, try to add in a cup of green tea nothing added.

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Red Food, Blue Food: Edible Polls Give Obama The Edge, For Now

The Donkey cocktail is leading in the polls so far at Lincoln, a restaurant in Washington, D.C.

The Donkey cocktail is leading in the polls so far at Lincoln, a restaurant in Washington, D.C.

Wanna cast your vote early? In Washington, D.C., and around the nation, food and drink have become a popular proxy for voter polls. Though they're unlikely to be accurate predictors, the results of a few seem to be drifting in the same direction as the presidential election polls conducted by professional pollsters at the moment.

Let's start with cheese. While it doesn't have a deep history of political symbolism, it may get a little more attention this year as GOP VP pick and Wisconsinite Paul Ryan told supporters last month that his "veins bleed with cheese."

At the Park Hyatt in D.C., cheese specialist Lisa Hviding is inviting visitors to choose between blue cheese and red cheese. Options for Democrats: a blue cheese called Ewe's Blue and a cow's milk cheese from Lazy Lady Farm in Vermont named Barick Obama. (It's aged four to six weeks and has a "soft elastic body," according to the farm's website.)

And for Romney supporters: Red Hawk, procured from Cowgirl Creamery, a washed rind cheese that has a reddish-orange tint to its rind.

At the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C., you can vote for the best cheese with your taste buds or your politics.

At the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C., you can vote for the best cheese with your taste buds or your politics.

So, who's ahead? "Ewe's Blue might be the most popular at this point," says Hviding. Lest we take this too seriously, she says, so far, most guests seem to be choosing on the basis of their taste buds, not necessarily their politics.

The Donkey and the Elephant are also turning up as part of cocktail polls. At Lincoln, a restaurant in D.C., bartenders are keeping score on a blackboard.

GOP-leaning customers can choose The Elephant, which is made with rhubarb-infused whiskey, homemade strawberry liquor, lime juice and bitters.

And Democrats? The Donkey: A blackberry-infused gin with ginger syrup, lime juice and soda. A cocktail will set you back $11. So far, the "Blue District" of D.C. is choosing Donkeys, which lead Elephants 41 to 36.

So far, the Elephant cocktail is the runner-up at Lincoln.

So far, the Elephant cocktail is the runner-up at Lincoln.

As our colleague Linton Weeks has reported, the 7-Eleven Coffee Cup challenge is yet another opportunity for customers to signal their pick for prez.

Though the brew is the same regardless of your politics, customers can pick a red or blue paper to-go cup.

At last check, Obama leads Romney, 58 percent to 42 percent across the country. And when you break it down by states, there are even bigger spreads. In Washington, D.C., Obama's up 76 percent to Romney's 24 percent.

Romney does hold the lead among 7-Eleven coffee drinkers in three states that may lean to the right in the upcoming presidential election: West Virginia, Idaho and New Hampshire.

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Fruit And Veggies Linked To Lower Obesity Rates In New State Fat Rankings

Customers line up for farmers market produce on a corner in Washington, D.C., where people eat more fruits and veggies than many states.

Customers line up for farmers market produce on a corner in Washington, D.C., where people eat more fruits and veggies than many states.

Every year, we dutifully report on the annual Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation state obesity rankings, and every year, it's a similar story a handful of southern states, on the whole, are the biggest. (It's Mississippi, Louisiana, and W. Virginia in 2011, in case you were wondering.)

But here's one story behind the numbers consider diet and lifestyle. The rankings show that the states where people are eating their fruits and veggies have among the lowest rates of obesity.

So who's munching most on fiber-rich, nutrient dense produce? The residents of California, Washington, D.C., Vermont, New Hampshire and Oregon top the list of states highest in fruit and vegetable consumption.

But before you're impressed, consider this, only about 1 in 4 adults adults in these top-ranked states are eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Yes, that means 75 percent of us are not!

The states with the lowest fruit and veggie consumption are West Virginia (7.9 percent), Louisiana (8.2 percent), Oklahoma (9.8 percent) and Mississippi (10.3 percent).

And how does this track with obesity rankings? Seven of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity were in the bottom tier for fruit and vegetable consumption.

It's a similar story with exercise. States where people report engaging in the most physical activity or exercise beyond doing their regular jobs, including Colorado, Utah, and California, also have the lowest obesity rankings.

Colorado holds on to its top spot for skinniest state. Only about 21 percent of Coloradans are obese, followed by Hawaii, with an obesity rate of 22 percent.

The "F as in Fat" report finds not much is budging, in terms of the top and bottom ranked states.

Mississippi has an obesity rate of 34.9 percent, followed by Louisiana at 33.4 percent, and W. Virginia at 32.4 percent.

For a complete ranking, you can check out the full report.

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