Michelle Obama Has a Girls" Night Out in Washington From left: Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times; Brendan Smialowski, via Agence France-Presse - Getty Images BONDING Michelle Obama and a group of friends had dinner last Friday at BLT Steak in Washington. GIRLS" night out! Lipstick, check. Phone set to vibrate, check. Secret Service outside the restaurant scanning other patrons, check - if you're the first lady of the United States. Michelle Obama guards her privacy about as closely as any modern first lady, but she still enjoys a night out now and then with friends. Her canteen of choice is often BLT Steak, the offshoot of the New York-based chain of restaurants, where last Friday night the first lady kicked back with roughly a half-dozen female friends, including Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser and frequent first lady sidekick. Soon after a large gaggle of Secret Service agents made its way into the restaurant during the tail end of happy hour, Mrs. Obama swept in, smartly dressed in a white top cinched with a belt, and greeted surprised bar patrons as she floated by, Ms. Jarrett and other companions trailing behind. Mrs. Obama and her friends then made their way to a private area of the restaurant. Even in Washington, where snarls of cars in a presidential motorcade cause irritation, not fawning, and dignitaries and cabinet secretaries are as common as sitcom stars in Los Angeles, Mrs. Obama can cause a little bit of a stir. "I'm not going to lie, I was excited," said Tara Mahoney, an elementary school teacher who was polishing off her drink. I've never seen her up close. She's skinny, she's beautiful and she says hello and smiles. Those diners who came into the restaurant after Mrs. Obama's arrival were greeted by agents who ran a wand over them and had them empty their pockets before allowing them to enter. Some of her staff members repaired to a table near the bar, doing what people in those jobs do. Wait, basically. What Mrs. Obama and her friends ate - well, who knows what they ate, since the East Wing won't say. "I'm sorry, but we don't provide any info on Mrs. Obama's private outings," said Kristina Schake, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Obama. A BLT spokeswoman was equally mum. But a giant basket of fluffy popovers, one of the restaurant's signature items, made its way back to her group. The first lady stayed a little over two hours, departing the restaurant around 8:30 p.m. (which is not exactly a raucous night out, but certainly mom-friendly). Mrs. Obama is no doubt drawn to BLT Steak because it is a mere two blocks from the White House and offers her privacy and a reasonably good steak. "I've seen her here before," said Heidi Keller, 31, who was having drinks at the bar. In January the first couple celebrated Mrs. Obama's 48th birthday there over steaks and a red velvet cake.