receded by a swarm of police officers and a veritable phalanx of Secret Service agents, Vice President Al Gore descended on Lutticken's deli in West Menlo Park last week to take a few bites of a turkey sandwich and have a 15-minute chat with Peninsula business owners.
The presidential candidate's June 23 campaign stop at Lutticken's took many by surprise, and at least one deli patron was frightened by the sudden appearance of police cars and motorcycles.
"At first we thought it was a robbery," said Cornelia Izen, a visiting Texan whose previous meal at Lutticken's had been 15 years ago.
Bob Lutticken, owner of the deli, was given only two hours to prepare for Mr. Gore's visit. Prior to the arrival, black-garbed Secret Service Agents searched patrons for concealed weapons and cordoned off the deli, located at 3535 Alameda de las Pulgas at Gordon Avenue. An agent leading a bomb-sniffing German shepherd checked parked vehicles for explosives.
After this preparation was complete, Mr. Gore arrived and spent time talking with a small group of merchants.
Alfredo Bryant, who plans to open a drive-through espresso cafe in East Palo Alto, said the vice president discussed such issues as improving schools and retaining employees in the Bay Area's costly environment.
"He was on point in terms of defining issues, but didn't have time to discuss them in depth," said Mr. Bryant, who received his invitation to talk with Mr. Gore two days before the event.
According to one of Mr. Gore's staff, the vice president chose Lutticken's for his photo opportunity because he wanted to be seen in a diner. Mr. Gore's staff could not find one nearby and selected Lutticken's after inquiries revealed it was popular with working people.
The vice president's West Menlo Park stop was one item on an itinerary that included a luncheon in Atherton at the home of Joel Hyatt, a lawyer and Stanford business professor who is also the western finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Twenty-five supporters attended the luncheon, bringing in more than $500,000 for the DNC.
As Mr. Gore was leaving the deli, Pete Buffington, an 11-year-old Menlo Park resident, asked the vice president the title of his favorite movie. The vice president thought for a moment and said the last film he saw was "Gladiator."
"He said it was really good," Pete said. "I think he's a nice guy; he's so friendly."
Despite the short arrival notice, Mr. Lutticken, who shook hands with Mr. Gore as he left the deli, said the vice president's entourage was courteous.
"They were great," Mr. Lutticken said, noting that they cleaned up after the vice president's departure.
