George W. Ate Here? Well, Not Exactly . . .

Caricatures of the Obamas have been added to the wall at the Palm in downtown Washington -- next to the one of George W. Bush, who never actually dined there. (Amy Argetsinger/The Washington Post)

At the Palm, the famously schmoozy downtown steakhouse, hundreds of caricatures of the power brokers who hang out there line the walls -- senators, lobbyists, corporate titans . . . wait, how'd he get up there?

Despite his place of honor on the wall, George W. Bush never dined there, the first president in the Palm's 37 years who did not. "It broke my streak," groused Executive Director Tommy Jacomo. "His father was here all the time."

Jacomo hung Bush's picture the day after he was elected but doesn't take offense at the no-show: "He never went out much." Well, there was the time he went to Morton's in '01, and that dinner at Cactus Cantina in '03 . . . hey, Jacomo's right, Bush never went anywhere!

Another guy who rarely got out: Barack Obama, in his years as senator. He claims he'll dine out more, now that Michelle's here. Their picture just went up, next to Bush. Said Jacomo: "I'm sure we're going to get him. I feel confident."