On a day full of sobering news about missing planes and failing auto giants, at least we have some answers to one of the important questions of our time: What's it like to go on a date if you are the President? Via the New York Daily News, we have all sort of details of the Obamas date on Saturday night. They made a low profile escape to New York City, late Saturday afternoon, to continue their long tradition of date nights, and their new traditon of getting out of the White House as often as possible. Earlier the in the day, the President had played the part of soccer dad, traveling to a local field to watch his eldest daughter Malia play, and win.

The First Couple dined at Blue Hill, a small (83 seat) Greenwich Village restaurant with a seasonal menu featuring local produce sourced from the Hudson Valley. Entrees range from $28-$36. Mrs. Obama apparently had 2 martinis. It's unclear whether they were gin or vodka, shaken or stirred, dirty or with a twist. Alas, investigative journalism units are all but a thing of the past... But I digress. The President had wines that were paired with a tasting menu. Their fellow diners were exceedingly polite, according to the NYDN, refraining from ogling the first couple or whipping out their cell phones for twitpics. But they did burst into spontaneous New York applause as the Obamas got up to leave.

The President then took his wife to a Broadway Show, the fulfilment of a promise he'd made to her during the election. They saw "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" by August Wilson at the Belasco Theater. The curtain was held for 45 minutes while the First Couple made their way to the theater. There, they recieved a five minute standing ovation. Some patrons stood on their chairs to catch a glimpse of the Obamas, but seemed indifferent to the presence of Meryl Streep, who was also taking in the show.

The Obamas copped some flak from the RNC, who criticized them for extravagence at a time when American giant GM prepares for bankruptcy. The White House hasn't announced how much the trip cost, but did indicate the Obamas would have been happy to catch the shuttle had Secret Service allowed it.