The One Italian Meal Joe Biden Always Requests

Why are we so fascinated by what presidents eat? Well, part of it stems from our interest in anything celebrities do, while it also speaks to our enduring passion for food in general. When it comes to what's on the presidential table, though, we kind of assume that the leader of our nation is dining on much, much fancier fare than we commoners will ever experience. After all, the White House is complete with its own chefs (and weird rules they have to follow). While some former occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have taken full advantage of this perk, having their chefs prepare such delicacies as roast turtle steak, others have had surprisingly plebeian tastes. Donald Trump was a big fan of McDonald's and KFC, while Bill Clinton, in his pre-vegan days, was very fond of fried chicken sandwiches.

Joe Biden has quite a few favorite foods of his own, none of them too highfalutin or terribly trendy. Perhaps his most relatable food craving is his well known love for ice cream, and he seems pretty fond of most other desserts, as well. When it comes to a full meal, though, he's got a definite preference for Italian food, and one meal in particular is something he could eat over and over again.

Joe Biden himself is of Irish ancestry, but it's no mystery as to why he's so fond of Italian food. After all, who wouldn't be? Corned beef and cabbage vs. chicken parmesan ... it's no contest, really. In fact, Dr. Jill Biden, who comes from an Italian background, makes a pretty mean version of the latter dish, per Parade. While chicken parm may be among her husband's homemade favorites, President Biden had a different go-to meal on the road. According to The Washington Post, when his post-vice presidential speaking engagements had him criss-crossing the country, he didn't want to take his chances with whatever his hosts might have on the table. Instead, he requested that one particular dinner be served to him each time. While the Post may have found this overly picky, we're going to side with the POTUS on this one; perhaps he'd simply had one too many encounters with surprise casseroles.

So what was on Biden's lecture circuit menu? A light yet delicious dish of capellini al pomodoro (angel hair pasta with tomato sauce) accompanied by Caprese salad. For dessert, he favored raspberry sorbet with a side of biscotti. While we're not sure whether this meal is still in heavy rotation in the White House dining room, it seems likely that it's still a Biden favorite since it's not the kind of thing you'd get sick of in a hurry. In fact, we're kind of craving this meal now, too!