Not everything I do as Ambassador is fancy. But most of it is fun. Yesterday was a great example.

A Washington institution came to Ottawa. And I had to celebrate it.

When I was working at the White House the hours were long. I often got home late. The good news is that around the corner from where I lived on 7th Street was a Five Guys that was open until 10 pm. I became a regular.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a chain of hamburger restaurants that started in Alexandria, Virginia (a Washington suburb) in 1986 and spread across the nation’s capital. They have since spread around the United States and now, thankfully, to Canada.

Five Guys has the best hamburgers and fries I have ever tasted. And I have tasted a lot.

I got the full treatment during my visit. I donned a Five Guys hat, T-shirt, and apron and learned how they make the burgers and fries. I formed the patties. I cut the potatoes. I grilled the burgers (learning how to tell when they were done). I added the toppings (my specialty is cheese, bacon, tomatoes, pickles, grilled onions, and ketchup). I fried the fries (twice in accordance with the Five Guys recipe). I served them up at the counter. And then – best of all – I ate them.

I want to thank my host, the Area Manager Mark Bencze. He was a great teacher. And he runs a tight ship. There are few things I can say with more confidence than this. Go to Five Guys. You’ll love it. Can’t be beat.

Here’s a link to a video of my training.

To my U.S. Ambassador colleagues around the world … eat your hearts out!!!

On a totally unrelated – but important point – today is Julie’s and my 25th wedding anniversary. I am very lucky to have a partner like her. We have had quite a run. And it keeps getting better. As one friend said in a note: “We have the silver. Now we’re going for the gold.” Happy Anniversary Julie!!!!!!

DJ

Tags: Alexandria, D.C., Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Ottawa, Ottawa Restaurants, Virginia, Washington

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 8th, 2012 at 3:03 pm and is filed under March 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.