Kaifu and His Entourage Enjoy Italian Cuisine in Santa Ana

Say you’re in a strange town on business and need a good place to eat--where do you go?

After his long day of summit talks with President Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu went Italian at Antonello Ristorante in Santa Ana. His party of 10 included Japanese Ambassador Ryohei Murata. Few if any other diners knew who had been whisked to the private upstairs room.

Kaifu “was rushed in,” said assistant manager Craig Gilbert. The Secret Service surrounded him “and you couldn’t even tell it was him. This was real hushed. No one but us was supposed to know.”

Everybody ordered veal and imported Italian mushrooms, Gilbert said, and the group ordered about 10 bottles of wine.

Bush, meanwhile, chose to kick off his shoes and eat in with First Lady Barbara Bush, who was tired from having flown in from Washington at 5:30 in the afternoon. They ordered room service from the Pavilion restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, where they are staying. A room service employee declined to say what the President ate.