Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

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On his 48th birthday, Prez O's likely gearing up for the meal of a lifetime, but if he was in Chicago we know what he'd like to chow down on:

Hyde Park's Caribbean-focused Calypso Cafe, along with the now defunct New Orleans-inspired Dixie Kitchen, is a favorite of the First Family. They recently added some of the more popular dishes from Dixie Kitchen's menu—which just happened to be the President's faves—including peach cobbler, fried green tomatoes and the Southern Sampler (Jambalaya, gumbo, red beans & rice).

Italian Fiesta, in South Shore, had the honor of serving its thin-crust pizzas at the inauguration. This is the way a pizza's supposed to be: indulgently greasy and bursting with flavor from hearty toppings. Obama's guilty pleasure is the cheese-only pizza.

He's fit as a fiddle and his waistline is trim and slim, but we love that he's not afraid of chowing down on an occasional sandwich loaded down with mounds of corned beef. He caused quite a scene when he ordered several, and paid cash, at Manny's Deli right after the election.

Spiaggia Executive Chef Tony Mantuano flew into Washington, D.C. to personally deliver his restaurant's addictive wood-roasted scallops to a startled Barack Obama. It was right on time because his beloved Bulls had just suffered an embarrassing defeat to the Wizards.

Table Fifty-Two's known for its sophisticated spin on Southern cuisine. We hear another Obama weakness is shrimp 'n' grits, so for certain he's had to have sampled Art Smith's succulent appetizer that comes with three jumbo prawns drenched perfectly in BBQ sauce and laid over creamy, buttery grits.

And the Mexican-influenced Topolobampo, the fancier counterpart to the adjacent Frontera Grill, is where the Obamas go for a romantic night out. The Prez digs Sopa Azteca, a pasilla chile-accented tortilla soup with roasted chicken.