Although the first couple officially tied the knot 19 years ago today (Congrats, Michelle and 44!), they slipped away to Restaurant Eve on Saturday night for a preemptive anniversary fête.

Chef/owner Cathal Armstrong was home cooking dinner for his family when the call came through that POTUS was inbound. Luckily, he was able to zip back to the restaurant to orchestrate one of the dazzling multi course feasts that draws area gourmands to his Tasting Room like moths to a flame.

The Obama-Armstrong relationship has blossomed in recent years, beginning with a 2007 fundraising event the budding restaurateur hosted for the then-Senator (he went stag) at the Majestic, which he co-owns with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). Michelle popped into the Majestic in 2009 for a family birthday. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joseph Biden, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have broken bread at Eve before. And Armstrong was honored at the White House this April for his work on school nutrition issues.

After dinner, President Barack Obama and Michelle reportedly posed for pictures with staff and greeted fellow restaurant goers. The Dublin-born Armstrong even introduced the pair to his visiting brother, Edward, who regaled the president in Gaelic, “Is féidir linn” (Yes we can!), to which President O’Bama reportedly replied, “I love Ireland.”