The Iconic Italian-American Food Melania Trump Loves To Eat

As First Lady of the United States and resident of The White House, Melania Trump can basically request whatever she wants to eat at any time of day when she's at home in Washington D.C. White House chefs have to follow some strange rules, but ultimately, they report directly to FLOTUS, so it's important to be at her and the President's culinary beck and call. Melania is known to enjoy smoothies in the morning and tries to eat seven servings of fruit every day, but one of her all time favorite foods is the chicken parmesan from Jean-Georges in New York.

Before husband Donald Trump's first presidential run, Melania gushed to New York magazine about the dish she liked to indulge in at the flagship restaurant of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten which is located in Manhattan, the city she formerly called home. The restaurant opened in 1997 and has been awarded multiple Michelin stars. It's known for its opulence, inventive fusion dishes, prix-fixe menus, and very high prices. It doesn't appear that anything resembling chicken parmesan is on the current menu, but some internet sleuthing revealed that Jean-Georges' chicken parm was made with an organic chicken breast coated in whipped egg whites and a lot of parmesan cheese which was served with asparagus in a lemon butter sauce. Whether or not the First Lady ever requests something similar from the chefs at The White House, we don't know, but they would certainly be capable of doing so if she was ever feeling homesick for the flavors of New York.

Interestingly enough, the chicken parmesan Melania Trump prefers doesn't necessarily resemble traditional chicken parm, which is typically served with a tomato-based sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a side of pasta like spaghetti. In this sense, her entree more closely resembles chicken or veal Milanese, which comes sauce-less and was a favorite of Frank Sinatra's, although he preferred his from Patsy's Italian Restaurant (also in New York).

The First Lady of the United States is notoriously private, but she has given some glimpses of her eating habits in the past. She likes vegetables, but not all of them, staying far away from onions and artichokes. She drinks lots of water, but also likes coffee and Diet Coke (the drink her husband Donald prefers, even at breakfast). Melania particularly enjoys the soda when it comes from a glass bottle. When it comes to sweets, she doesn't say "no" to chocolate and ice cream every once in a while. She's also comfortable cooking for her family, although it's unclear whether she actively cooks in the White House kitchen. The former model certainly prioritizes a healthy balance of whole, vitamin-filled foods with her favorite dishes (like chicken parmesan), even if those dishes aren't 100% authentic.