In this Feb. 13, 1973 phone call, Julie Nixon Eisenhower convinces her father to take the family out for a family Valentine's dinner at Trader Vic's, a Polynesian-themed tiki restaurant three blocks north of the White House.
Transcript:
President Nixon: Hello?
White House Operator: Julie--
Julie Nixon Eisenhower: Daddy?
President Nixon: Hi.
Eisenhower: Hi.
President Nixon: Well, how are you doing?
Eisenhower: Fine. How are you?
President Nixon: Did you--are you going out to the house or not?
Eisenhower: Yeah, we are. Uh-huh. We sure are. We're going to go out around three [o'clock] because the people will be there [un]til three. We can't go before then.
President Nixon: Oh, I see. Right.
Eisenhower: So--unless you have other plans or something.
President Nixon: No, honey, no. That's great.
Eisenhower: Daddy, do you want to go out to dinner tonight? Trader Vic's or something, or . . . ? Or eat here? Or you going to go to Camp David? Or what were you thinking?
President Nixon: No, I thought we'd--I can't get to Camp David because I've got something I have to do here early Thursday morning. So . . . well, I don't know, you mean go out? Or what do you think? Trader Vic's and . . . ? Would you--you think that . . . what would everybody like? I mean, what do you think?
Eisenhower: Um . . .
President Nixon: Do you think we should go out or--would Mommy [Pat Nixon] like to or not?
Eisenhower: I think she might or--if it'd be fun for you. Or stay here and see a movie. Or whatever you sort of feel like doing.
President Nixon: Let's see . . . Trader Vic's. How is the Trader Vic's here? Pretty good?
Eisenhower: It's really good because they have a back table and all.
President Nixon: Mm-hmm.
Eisenhower: I mean, they have--it's nicely lighted and it's--
President Nixon: Well, I'll tell you, if Mommy would like to go, I think it'd be a nice idea.
Eisenhower: OK.
President Nixon: OK, so you explore it with her. And is Trish [Nixon Cox] around?
Eisenhower: Yeah, and I think she'd like to go.
President Nixon: Right.
Eisenhower: And if they don't, then we'll eat here.
President Nixon: We'll go out and say that it's kind of a Valentine's [Day] dinner.
Eisenhower: OK.
President Nixon: See, it's Valentine's coming up and we can say that--
Eisenhower: Tomorrow's Valentine's, yeah.
President Nixon: --and that "we wanted you to come out for a Valentine's dinner." OK?
Eisenhower: Good. OK.
President Nixon: Fair enough?
Eisenhower: Great.
President Nixon: All right, honey.
Eisenhower: OK, Daddy.
President Nixon: Swell. And everything's fine? OK, fine.
Eisenhower: Everything's great. OK, bye.
President Nixon: Yeah. Bye.
That evening, the Nixons and their guests walked the three blocks to the restaurant. The group included President and Mrs. Nixon, Julie and David Eisenhower, and C. G. "Bebe" Rebozo∇, a long-time friend of President Nixon's. After the dinner, Nixon quipped to reporters outside that "When you go in there, don't be on a diet."
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