It bills itself as “the legendary pinnacle of Palm Beach” with “luxurious amenities,” offering an “incomparable lifestyle.” What else could that describe—in typical Trumpian hyperbole—than Mar-a-Lago?
Putting aside the fact that President Trump has spent a total of seven weekends out of the 13 weeks he’s been in office at Mar-a-Lago, one might assume that a club that costs $200,000 to join—the fee was doubled after Trump was elected—would have a fabulous dining room. And, according to its website, Mar-a-Lago “offers an extraordinary culinary experience for its members and their guests.”
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One problem: According to The Miami Herald, Florida restaurant inspectors found 15 violations in the club’s kitchens. The club was permitted to keep its dining facilities open while the staff scrambled to make immediate corrections. The inspections took place in late January and the report came down just days before Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the property.
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Built in the 1920s, Mar-a-Lago was the estate owned by heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post that was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980; Trump bought it back in 1985 and turned it into a members-only club with private quarters for his family. Mar-a-Lago members can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch there and “can choose to dine indoors in our opulent, historic Main Dining Room, in the Teahouse, or on the al fresco Patio.”
Well, you may be thinking, the violations can’t be that bad, right?
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In fact, three were deemed to be “high-priority,” meaning they were “potentially hazardous” enough for illness-causing bacteria to be passed to guests. Some specifics: Fish that was to be served raw or undercooked had not undergone proper parasite destruction. Also, two coolers were not doing much cooling at all, with chicken being kept at 49 degrees, duck and raw beef at 50 degrees, and ham at a balmy 57 degrees. (Florida regulations require that these items be stored at temperatures below 42 degrees Fahrenheit.) In addition, other coolers were not in proper working order, rusted shelves were found inside walk-in coolers, and some cooks were not wearing hairnets.
It turns out that the club has been cited 78 times for violations over the past three years. Considering Trump has previously advocated to dissolve “the FDA Food Police,” maybe this isn’t all that surprising.
Could that mean that the food at Mar-a-Lago is less than “amazing,” “terrific,” and “classy“? Well, we’re not sure about the sushi, but we hear the chocolate cake is really, really good.
