It’s not uncommon to bump into Burlington’s favorite son, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), strolling down Church Street or grocery shopping at Hannaford. But it’s not every day that the presidential candidate is spotted brunching in the Queen City with an even bigger liberal superstar.
That was the case Saturday morning when U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — aka AOC — joined Sanders, wife Jane O’Meara Sanders and campaign manager Faiz Shakir at Burlington’s Penny Cluse Café.
According to owner and chef Charles Reeves, who was working in the kitchen that morning, Sanders is a semi-regular and “usually gets the buckwheat pancakes with blueberries.” Ocasio-Cortez ordered scrambled eggs with rye toast and home fries, Reeves reported.
“They’re totally regular people when they eat,” he said of Sanders and O’Meara Sanders. “And we don’t make a big deal about it.”
What was up for discussion Saturday morning was less clear. Sanders’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment and Seven Days could not reach an Ocasio-Cortez spokesperson, though her office confirmed the meeting to CNN.
Ocasio-Cortez is widely seen as one of the most influential liberal politicians in the country — and her endorsement would be a big get in the Democratic presidential primary. Before she unseated a veteran member of Congress in 2018, she volunteered for Sanders’ 2016 campaign. She has also worked with and praised Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), another presidential contender.
“What I would like to see in a presidential candidate is one that has a coherent worldview and logic from which all these policy proposals are coming forward,” Ocasio-Cortez told CNN in May. “I think Sen. Sanders has that. I also think Sen. Warren has that.”
AOC isn’t the first visiting pol to drop by Penny Cluse. Then-vice president Joe Biden dined there with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter in October 2016. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has also made an appearance.
Burlington resident Molly Gray arrived at Penny Cluse Saturday morning as the congressional party was departing.
“It was an incredible surprise to run into someone who has inspired so many women and girls to engage in public service,” she said of Ocasio-Cortez. “I hope that Vermont will have an opportunity to invite her back soon.”
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Sanders and AOC in Burlington at the same time! The IQ of the entire city dropped by about 30% until they left. Its amazing to me how two people who have achieved so little, a couch surfing failed carpenter and a bartender, have conned so many people into thinking that they have something of value to offer the nation. Im no fan of the far left of my party but at least someone like Elizabeth Warren has a record of accomplishment outside of government. I guess people just enjoy being conned.
bet ya uncle bernie never reached for the bill.
Having a special needs child, I’m really tired of people in the comment section using the “low IQ bigotry” it’s just a replacement of the R word and Seven Days should realize it. That this is now the tenor on social media means we don’t get a variety of opinion, just insults that would never go over in our household. I look forward to the gift of debate and discussion.
How bad did they stiff the wait staff this time.
I know ‘it was an honor to serve them.’
Remember that honor when it comes time to pay the bills
Don’t all children have special needs? Frankly, I think the label “special needs” is more damaging than “retarded” but we all have opinions.
As far as the article, what business did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have in being in Vermont? Was it solely to meet with Sanders?
@Roy Apparently you were not in Burlington during the 80’s when Bernie Sanders and his administration revitalized the city in every way, working with business owners, including Republicans, to transform Burlington into one of the most desirable small cities in the country. There is something to be said for a life of public service.
They’re nothing like our president, the most intelligent, least racist, bestest president in the history of the world, let me tell you!
ORACLE, Trump is the dumbest, most racist, least intelligent president in the history! I think you got things backwards..
Puke!!
They came to smell real Vt Cow Farts!!!!
And a FREE MEAL!!!
@ Todd R. Lockwood – Actually I was here and any progress that was made during the Sanders administration was made because of the people that were actually doing the work. I will give Sanders credit for knowing how to put together the best team of Vermonters that were able to move Burlington forward during that time but the progress that was made was made in spite of Sanders, not because of him. Further, there is an argument that alternate plans to revitalize the waterfront and other parts of Burlington that were nixed by Sanders would have done even more to revitalize the city than the plan the Sanders administration eventually landed on. We can debate the virtues of Sanders until the cows come home but something tells me that’ll be a waste of time for both of us so we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
@ Lockwood:
I give Bernie credit for the Church Street Marketplace. That was 1981-82. But we’ve been paying for Bernie to be in the House and then the Senate since 1990. That’s 28 years. Could you please list the signature legislative accomplishments of this 28 year veteran of the United State Congress — other than using the Vermont senate seat as a platform for his egoistic runs for the Presidency? In 28 years has he authored a single bill that’s passed?
“ORACLE, Trump is the dumbest, most racist, least intelligent president in the history! I think you got things backwards…”
Um . . . Maybe you shouldn’t have skipped satire class in school.
AOC is not a liberal, she is a progressive, big difference, I will take a progressive over a liberal any day.
Well that was a quiet visit. Welcome to Burlington AOC, come back anytime!
Penny Cluse is a great restaurant for brunch.
Roy: the IQ of the city dropped? And how much did your comment lower it?
Mr. Assumptions:, you have no idea what Senator Sanders has accomplished?
Bob: are you saying they didn’t tip last time? Were you there? The Senator is on the Oversight Committee – maybe it was an oversight.
The only reason they met up is probably to grease each others palm.. 2 bold-face lying crooks, .both lazy, both socialists and hate America. Oh, old Bernie is not Burlington’s favorite son, he wasn’t born in Burlington much less Vermont. So how can he be a son.? He doesn’t even care about Vt.
@ Messing:
Instead of evading my question with a rhetorical question of your own, why don*t you tell us, aside from using the Senate seat we elected him to to run for President, what Bernie has accomplished legislatively in 28 years in Congress. Please name the signature policy bills hes authored. Please. Name them.
If any candidate came to Lyndonville, VT I would be more impressed. They could have had a fabulous meal at The Miss Lyndonville Diner. I would have even paid. Love you Bernie but come to a section of the state that isn’t wealthy and full of people who are already goi g to vote for you.
Bernie Accomplishment List;
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPreside…
Ditto Roy. I wonder if Bernie will be giving up one, two or all three of his homes for his part in making the Green Deal possible. It would seem the only time Bernie is in VT is to entertain socialist pals, eat at PC or shop at his local Hannaford. Gee, I wonder if AOC walks or bikes from DC to the 14th District…oh wait, she doesn’t ever go there.
“Bernie Accomplishment List;
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPreside. “
Really? His “accomplishment list” includes playing on a high school basketball team?
I note that this “accomplishment list” contains not one bill that he authored, either in his 16 years in the House or his 12 years in the Senate. Not one single bill. The guy who desperately wants to be President has been in Congress for 28 years and can’t claim passage of a single bill that he wrote.
Excuse me, knowyourassumptions,
Why are you a troll? Were you on a debate team?
I can’t help but wonder what you like, who you admire, and what you want from this city. You don’t say.
Donna, I wonder the same things when I read your comments. What do you stand for?
Bernie being in Burlington is bad enough but, he had to bring that moron with him!!!!!!!
@ Messing – Every time I read your comments, I have to wonder if its possible for you to step out of your little bubble of extreme left wing hysteria and look at things in an intelligent practical manner or if you just cant help yourself from constantly approaching everything with a huge sense of entitlement and outrage.
Wonderful. A socialist dining with a communist. Only in the “new” Vermont. Give me the Vermont of 50 years ago any day.
Hi Roy,
Sorry if my comments disturb you. I don’t think I speak with a “huge sense of entitlement and outrage.” What would strike you as practical and intelligent? I’m not a hysterical left-wing extremist. Here’s hoping we can both sound reasonable. Stepping out of our bubbles – good. But we may just disagree, in which case we’ll never write a comment the other likes. We’re free to disagree.
Hikerva, I too would like to go back in time (in some ways), but why stop at 50 years? If we could go back 70 years, the town would still have 500 elm trees.