Food

Biden Makes First DC Restaurant Visit as President to Call Your Mother

The bagel spot is co-owned by his administration's Covid czar.

Call Your Mother Deli's za'atar-spiced bagel with candied salmon cream cheese, cucumber, and shallots. Photograph by Scott Suchman

A few days into the job, and President Joe Biden has already made his first restaurant visit. After attending mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church on Sunday, his motorcade made a bagel pitstop at Call Your Mother in Georgetown, according to pool reports. The President didn’t actually get out of the vehicle—a Secret Service agent ducked in to pick up the order. But Biden did wave to the small crowd that quickly gathered at the scene.

Call Your Mother is co-owned by Jeff Zients, who oversees the administration’s Covid-19 response. The wealthy businessman has a background as a CEO and management consultant across a range of industries and previously worked in the Obama White House. Looking to fulfill a lifelong dream of opening up a Jewish deli, he teamed up with Timber Pizza owners Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira in 2017 to open the bagel destination, which now has three locations. Fun fact: Zients apparently wanted to name the place “Apples & Honey.”

What a GREAT Sunday surprise! Thrilled to have an admin again who will love all that DC has to offer — starting with sesame bagels!! Come back anytime @JoeBiden,” Call Your Mother tweeted.

Biden has now visited the same number of restaurants that Donald Trump did in his entire four years in office. The former President never dined anywhere in DC other than the steakhouse in his Pennsylvania Avenue hotel.

Jessica Sidman
Food Editor

Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.