What do you do when you meet President Barack Obama for the first time? If you’re Mike Lund, executive chef of Zynodoa Restaurant in Staunton, you decline to extend your hand because it’s covered in food. Lund met the President while prepping the canapés for the opening reception of Obama’s first official state dinner at the White House in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. A six-year alumnus of The Inn at Little Washington—most recently as executive sous chef under world-renowned executive chef and owner Patrick O’Connell—Lund was invited to assist with the big banquet (about 400 invited guests, not including crashers) by fellow Inn alumnus and White House executive sous chef Tommy Kurpradit.

Don’t worry; Lund wasn’t being rude to the leader of the free world. Obama, who’d peeked in on Lund and another Inn at Little Washington alum and Charlottesville native Uday Huja (son of Charlottesville city councilor Satyendra Huja), who were busy plating the canapés before the descent of the dignitaries, had already declined to shake Lund’s hand because the Commander-in-Chief’s paws were covered in foundation make-up for the necessary dinner photo shoots.

Lund relays the scene: “Obama said, ‘Sorry I can’t shake your hand; they make me put this junk on my face,’ and I said, ‘Sorry I can’t shake your hand. Mine’s covered in caviar.’”

The moment was thrilling for Lund, who says, “Not to sound disrespectful, but I later thought to myself, ‘I just shot the [s#*&] with the president!’”          

It was only a week prior that Kurpradit had called Lund seeking extra hands in what Lund calls “a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Though it was definitely hectic—Lund and twenty or so other premier chefs spent the 48 hours prior to the event working nearly round the clock in preparation—he says it wasn’t the most pressure cooker of a meal he’s ever had to prepare (during his Inn days, after all, the guy had to prepare dinner for the likes of Alain Ducasse and Julia Child).

“It wasn’t terribly stressful for me,” says Lund. Referring to invited celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit in New York City and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, Lund says, “It was really their show.”

Conveniently, the state dinner and its days of preparation corresponded with Lund’s days off from Zynodoa, which are themselves quite hectic. Coming from the Inn where Lund managed a staff of 25-30, including overnight bakers, to whom he delegated much of the ordering, receiving and kitchen line work, Zynodoa is a whole different deal. He’s not only running the show, but also running around to farmers markets cooking on the line. Including Lund and the dishwashers, there’s a team of about five.

“What I’ve given up in 24-hour responsibility [at the Inn] I’ve gained in not having as many people to rely on, but I have a lot more control, and it’s nice to get burned here and there.”

Lund took over as executive chef of Zynodoa in early fall and since then has been further refining the restaurant’s focus on local, seasonal ingredients and Southern-inspired comfort food with a dynamic twist. He’s debuting a new winter menu on New Year’s Eve.