Well, if these are any indication, Obama likes a place with a good reputation, nothing too spicy or out of the ordinary, and prefers to be downtown, especially in the Village…

Restaurant: Blue Hill…
Location: 75 Washington Place…
Date: May 30, 2009
Occassion: Date night with Michelle
Description: “Blue Hill’s menu showcases local food and a wine list with producers who respect artisanal techniques. Ingredients come from nearby farms…Guests can choose from the regular menu or opt for the ‘Farmer’s Feast,’ a five-course tasting inspired by the week’s harvest.”
What Critics Say: “Although not as extreme or innovative as Craft, Blue Hill is the city’s other seminal Greenmarket haven, so expect a certain amount of hushed reverence here, a certain amount of ecstatic whispering about the quality of the summer peas.” [NY Mag]
What It Says about Obama: He likes to support local agriculture, while keeping a low profile.

Il Mulino
Location: 86 West 3rd St.
Date: September 14, 2009
Occasion: Lunch with Bill Clinton
Description: “Il Mulino…brings the Italian tradition of fine food and hospitality to your table. Simple, straightforward, wholesome and always fresh—it’s the Il Mulino tradition.”
Meal: Both had fish, pasta, and salad.
What Critics Say: “For more space, more invention and more restrained portions and sauces, you go elsewhere. But for trend-resistant cooks and tuxedoed waiters eager to pummel you into gastronomic submission, you go to Il Mulino.” [NY Times]
What It Says Obama: He likes a safe place with a good name recognition. Also, he’s trying to keep Bubba out of McDonalds.

Craftsteak
Location: 85 10th Ave
Date: October 20, 2009
Description: “Craftsteak New York redefinies the concept of a steakhouse by focusing on beef sourced from the world’s top ranchers and artisanal producers and dry-aging it in the restaurant’s own aging room.”
Meal: He’s probably placing his order right now. Suggestions?
What Critics Say: “The decor of the place is beautiful. I would definitely go there again, but would try something different. Love this new area it is located in. The last time I was in that area (16 or so years ago) it was swarming with prostitutes and some really bad looking ones at that!” [Yelp]

What It Says about Obama: He likes something that is sure to please everyone and won’t be too controversial. Just like his policy decisions!” (via gawker.com  ) by Brian Moylan

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for Barack Obama’s New York Dining Guide

Following in his footsteps can also be a boon to fellow island travelers. Just choose from these five Obama vacation themes to explore in the Aloha State

1. Stay active. The incoming president’s impressive beach physique got unexpected coverage during his Christmas vacation in Kailua, but he won’t keep his washboard abs unless he makes time for recreation. On Oahu, Sen. Obama and wife Michelle took advantage of the Semper Fit Center at the Marine Corps base in Kaneohe; you can do the same at hotel fitness centers, like the Sheraton Waikiki’s. But staying active for Obama also meant bodysurfing at Sandy Beach Park (known as “Sandy’s” to the locals), which along with nearby Makapuu Beach is the island’s premiere spot for expert bodysurfers. Novices should stick to the “Walls” break at Waikiki’s Kapahulu Groin (the concrete walkway into the water on the Diamond Head end of the beach) or make the short drive to Waimanalo Bay Beach Park (“Sherwood’s”).

Less physically challenging, but still a good way to keep moving, is keeping up your golf game. While the Washington weather may force Obama to stick to practice swings and Oval Office putts for the winter, on Oahu he’s made time for rounds at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Kailua’s Lanikai neighborhood, Olomana Golf Links in Waimanalo and Luana Hills Country Club in Maunawili (between Kailua and Waimanalo). These Windward Side courses are open to the public (weekdays only at Mid-Pacific), offering 18-hole, par-72 courses, green mountain vistas (plus ocean views at Mid-Pac), a pro shop and restaurant.

2. Spend time with family. Kids need their parents, and parents need time to be with them, even if it’s in the glare of paparazzi. The Obamas have had plenty of unstructured play time with Sasha and Malia in the sand at Ala Moana Beach Park, Hanauma Bay and Kailua Beach Park.

But the new First Family has also made special outings to Sea Life Park, where they got close to dolphins, and the Honolulu Zoo, where they were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sumatran tiger exhibit. In September the zoo’s rare tigers produced a three-cub litter, which made their first public appearance Dec. 20. (Now that they’re being closely watched by the press corps, the girls can empathize with Malosi, Keahi and Tondi.)

3. Know your history. Enjoying downtime doesn’t mean giving up the chance for education. The Obamas’ 2008 trips to Oahu have included visits to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor (perhaps in response to criticism over an earlier speech referring to “the bomb” that fell on Pearl Harbor, rather than “bombs”) and to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a.k.a. “Punchbowl.” In August, Obama visited the grave of his maternal grandfather, while in November he attended a memorial service for his grandmother there. But Punchbowl’s stunning setting in an ancient crater, plus its dramatic sculptures and accounts of heroism make it worth a visit even for those without family ties.

Hawaiian history as well as American can make a lasting impression on visitors. Obama’s August trip included a stop at the Nuuanu Pali lookout, where King Kamehameha’s forces from the Big Island defeated those of the chief of Oahu — by driving them off the 1,200-foot cliff. The Battle of Nuuanu (Nu’uanu in Hawaiian) was the climax of Kamehameha’s armed conquest of the islands (Kauai fell by subterfuge), bringing new meaning to “united we stand, divided we fall.”

4. Eat well. The White House may come with its own chef, but when the Obamas want fine dining on Oahu, they turn to Alan Wong’s in downtown Honolulu. Gourmet magazine named Chef Wong’s King Street dining room No. 8 on its list of Top 50 U.S. restaurants in 2006, and awards and acclaim continue to come in for his Pacific Rim regional cuisine. And if you can’t afford dinner downtown, check out breakfast, lunch or an early dinner at the Pineapple Room, Wong’s more casual restaurant on the third floor of Macy’s in the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

And to keep in touch with the people, presidents should never forgo the pleasure of simple treats — like a Hawaiian shave ice. During his December vacation, Obama and the girls ordered the fluffy, snowcone-like treat at Kokonuts Shave Ice and Snacks in the Koko Marina, while in August they cooled off with a stop at Island Snow in Kailua. Closer to Waikiki is Waiola Shave Ice on Kapahulu, while Matsumoto’s on the North Shore may be the state’s most famous purveyor of shave (not “shaved”) ice.” ( via www.sfgate.com) by Jeanne Cooper

Pointswizard.com Spin: Read more about  Plan an Obama-style vacation in Hawaii

Click for Daily Insider blog about Hawaii travel and island culture by Jeanne Cooper

Here’s the rental listing for the $9 million Hawaiian estate that President-elect Barack Obama is renting over the Christmas holiday.

The five-bedroom estate rents for upwards of $3500-a-day and sits on an acre fronting Kailua Beach in Oahu. The online listing was removed from the Hawaii’s Best Rentals web site after the Associated Press yesterday reported details of the Obama vacation retreat.” (via www.thesmokinggun.com)

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for the story and additional photos of the temporary Obama residence

-Accurate To A Fraction of a Second

-Water Resisitant

-Collectible Time Piece – With Gift Box

-100% Guaranteed Quality

Pointswizard.com Spin: Link to info and order form

Washington, D.C., officials predict 1.5 million visitors will descend for the swearing-in, parade and dozens of balls and celebrity-filled parties. Here, for the truly committed, are tips for getting in on the action:

• Roll with Oprah!
If you’re in O’s entourage, you’re in luck: word is the Obama’s mega-supporter is planning a star-studded fete at the Kennedy Center on inauguration night. Winfrey told radio host Ed Lover on Election Day she had been planning her look for months. “I got me a board and put Barack Obama’s picture on it and I put a picture of my dress I want to wear,” she said. “Last week I said to the stylist, ‘Take it out of the closet. Let’s hang it up, and let it air out.’ ”

• Play the Lottery
Nearly a quarter million tickets have been printed for the Capitol swearing-in ceremony, with each member of Congress getting a pile to pass out – 350 for senators, 198 for representatives. Some are organizing lotteries, like New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, whose office has received 100,000 requests. And if you win, don’t even think about scalping your ticket; legislation has been introduced to make it a crime, punishable by a $100,000 fine.

• Hit the Personal Ads
Single? Log onto Craigslist, where several purported inauguration-goers are looking for dates. One – a “recently divorced, healthy, athletic, 6′ 200-lb., very successful entertainment exec” – is even prepared to take his lady “shopping for your inauguration evening gown.” ” via ( www.people.com) by Kristen Mascia

Pointswizard.com Spin: To see the rest of Five Ways to Get Tickets for Obama’s Inauguration click here

The President-elect tells ABC News’ Barbara Walters in an interview airing Wednesday night that he’s trying to talk the Secret Service and others into letting him keep his wireless device.

Authorities fear hackers could break into his inbox and harvest data that’s potentially damaging to national security.

“This is a problem,” Obama said with a laugh in the interview. Still, he thinks keeping his BlackBerry at hand will allow him to keep a better handle on his job.
“I’m negotiating to figure out how can I get information from outside of the 10 or 12 people who surround my office in the White House.

Because one of the worst things I think that could happen to a President is losing touch with what people are going through day to day,” he told Walters ” ( via nydailynews.com) by BY MICHAEL MCAULIFF-DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click to see the article about Obama wants BlackBerry on his team

After arriving on a long flight from Tokyo and sleeping for four hours, the banker, 51, wanted to see Obama’s house on Greenwood Avenue before his business meetings Wednesday. “My family will be so proud,” he says. “I feel like I am a part of this big moment in American history.”

Tanaka didn’t actually see the president-elect, and security barriers prevented his taxi from driving past the house, but he got close enough to snap photos. “This is Chicago’s most famous landmark now,” he says.

The brick home and nearby businesses Obama and his wife Michelle patronize haven’t surpassed the Sears Tower or Wrigley Field in popularity yet. Still, traffic on the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau Web site, www.choosechicago.com, is up 30 percent since last month, the Gray Line bus tour of the area is a hot ticket, and even the barbershop Obama has patronized for 14 years is a tourist attraction.

“People just want to come in and be associated with Obama in some kind of way,” says Ishmael Alamin, owner of Hyde Park Hair Salon & Barber Shop. “They want to see the chair.” Several visitors from Boston came in Monday to take photos, he says. “It’s great for the neighborhood. It’s buzzing right now.”

Obama’s house, which he bought for $1.65 million in 2005, is in the Kenwood neighborhood, which is adjacent to Hyde Park, where he once taught at the University of Chicago Law School.

There are grand old homes in the area, but reminders of the challenges Obama will face as president are nearby.

About four blocks from Obama’s home, a blinking blue light on a tall pole identifies one of the police cameras that survey the city’s high-crime areas. A few blocks from there, about 30 people lined up Wednesday morning, waiting for a state unemployment office to open.

Obama’s presence in a busy urban neighborhood has caused some changes for people who live nearby. ”

( via  www.honoluluadvertiser.com) by By JUDY KEEN (USA TODAY)

Pointswizard.com Spin: Read more of Obama’s haunts in Chicago now popular attraction for tourists