A dinner for a president at the Bachelor Farmer

UPDATED WITH PHOTOS.

It was a heady day for the crew of the Bachelor Farmer restaurant on Friday, as they prepared lunch for President Obama for a fundraiser. The meal was directed by chef Paul Berglund.

"It was a thrill and a tremendous honor to host the President in our restaurant. And we're incredibly proud of our entire team for the terrific job they did today," Eric Dayton and Andrew Dayton noted in a prepared statement. The lovely menu presentation was created by MCAD DesignWorks, the in-house design studio at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Each of the staff was wearing a tie created for the event in a partnership between Askov Finlayson (sister store to the Bachelor Farmer) and Minnesota-based Pierrepont Hicks. The tie was also presented to President Obama as a gift. A handful of extra ties from the limited edition run will be for sale tomorrow (Saturday) at Askov Finlayson, 200 North First Street, Minneapolis (612-206-3925).

The chalkboard at the restaurant offered greetings.

President Obama offered good words about Gov. Mark Dayton, below, and Mayor R.T. Rybak, according to Robert Stephens, a guest at the luncheon.

Here's what the crowd of 100 had to eat:

House-smoked pork breast, spiced pork rillettes (think pork spread), Dijon mustard, chives from the restaurant's rooftop garden

English pea and creme fraiche pureed soup, radish, Parmesan, mint

Salad of early summer vegetables and flowers, goat's milk cheese, pistachios, cider vinaigrette

Choice of Copper River sockeye salmon, sauce Choron, new potatoes, grilled asparagus, tarragon, or
roasted chicken, arugula-bread salad, chicken confit, pickled shallots (The restaurant can't comment on which entree the president chose.)

Assorted cookies for dessert.

Janna Brom-Palkowski, owner of Janine's Coffeehouse, about 100 feet from the restaurant, reported that business was good, particularly in the morning when the Secret Service stocked up on coffee.

"There weren't as many regulars, but there were a lot of others," she said. Her friend Kirsten Mortensen, pictured below -- "just here for the hubbub" -- offered two officers a cool drink as they waited for the event to end. "I'll have a cold-pressed iced coffee," one officer said. "And do you have soy? I'm lactose intolerant."

Indeed, she did. "Tell the president to stop by for an espresso," Janna said as she handed over the drinks.