Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Eli No one was expecting the French Laundry when the guests showed up at the White House on Monday evening for the Congressional Ball. But by the time the food options began rolling around, members of Congress started pondering if they needed to dial in delivery for later that night. There was palpable buzz Tuesday morning among lawmakers who had gone to the White House event and been — shall we say — disappointed by the food. As Speaker NANCY PELOSI spoke to members about plans for the lame duck congressional session, several members were busy texting one another — and inquiring reporters — about how, inexplicably, there had been so little to eat at what is typically an opulent, lavish affair. Punchbowl News’ JAKE SHERMAN was the first to tweet about the complaints that “there wasn’t enough and it wasn’t as good as the Obama years.” It seemed, at first blush, like the wind up of a classic WOODY ALLEN joke (“the food is terrible! And such small portions!”) But throughout the day, West Wing Playbook heard from a bipartisan mix of lawmakers who expressed their dismay at the lack of a buffet spread at the ball. Many of them, after leaving hungry, awoke Tuesday feeling, well, hangry. “Ludicrous,” is how one House Democrat described the event, noting they hadn’t bumped into a single attendee Tuesday morning without a comment about how there were only finger food plates circulated. “Times are tight, apparently,” the lawmaker joked. Rep. ANNA ESHOO (D-Calif.) told us the food was “very tasty – but I wouldn’t call it a dinner.” Veterans of the wedding circuit are familiar with such situations and know there are ways to combat them. First and foremost is figuring out the path that the pass-arounds take. Eshoo’s daughter, who was her guest, positioned herself near the door where waiters brought in the food to ensure she’d get some. The other is to plan a meal for later that evening. One lawmaker did describe the event as quite nice but was told attendees left “ravenous.” Noting the bar served only beer and wine, they described “a clear sense of austerity” with this year’s event. “Let’s just say Old Ebbitt Grill was full afterward,” the lawmaker said. By the next day, the dinner’s spread (or lack thereof) had become fodder for political barbs. Sen. MIKE ROUNDS (R-S.D.) did not attend the ball, but said that lawmakers who did were buzzing about the lack of food in a bipartisan meeting Tuesday. “It might have been inflation,” Rounds said. The White House, which plainly finds these types of barbs trivial, will have some opportunities to turn things around. Much of the next two weeks for President JOE BIDEN and first lady JILL BIDEN will be spent hosting other holiday parties at the White House for lawmakers, supporters and members of the press. None of them will be as large as the Congressional Ball, which drew around 800 lawmakers, staffers and guests. Put another way, future, smaller gatherings could see the return of a buffet spread. In Washington, enthusiasm for this holiday season has been high after a lengthy pandemic that curtailed such festivities last year (after President DONALD TRUMP mostly scrubbed the parties for the media during his four years in office). But things have gotten off to a rough start, and it isn’t just with respect to the menu. Administration staffers and members of the media have been grumbling that not all of them received invitations to their respective White House holiday parties. And congressional staffers were already frustrated about the stricter than usual rules for the Congressional Ball barring them from bringing a guest who wasn’t their partner. The first lady’s office, which oversees the Congressional Ball and other holiday parties, did not respond to a request for comment. MESSAGE US — Were you a caterer at the Congressional Ball? We want to hear from you! And we’ll keep you anonymous. Email us at westwingtips@politico.com .
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