Obama's Favorite Pizza Coming To Washington

The owners of the pizzeria that makes Barack Obama's favorite pies are heading to Washington, NBC 5's Anthony Ponce reports.

Italian Fiesta Pizza in Hyde Park is taking its spicy-sauced, thin crust pizza to D.C. for an event previewing the food at the inauguration:

The Ritz in Washington D.C. is paying to fly the pizzeria's owners to the nation's capitol for the inauguration expo to be held there next week to serve their pizza there.

A month before the election, owner Patti Harris-Tubbs got a phone call from the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., asking if she would be willing to come to the nation's capital to make her pizza if Obama won. She thought it was a joke, Harris-Tubbs when Obama won, the hotel e-mailed back, offering to fly her and her husband out to serve their pizza next week at the Presidential Inauguration Expo, which is an event designed to preview the food that will be served at inauguration time in January.

The owners told NBC that Obama was introduced to their pizza by Michelle Obama, whose parents gave it to her as a reward for good grades.

Watch a WGN Report on the pizzeria:

Comments

[tabaqui]

Damnit. I'm so hungry for pizza now....but Pizza Hut just doesn't cut it. Blech.

[Liberal2]

Learn to make your own. It's easy. The only things I can't make on my own are the pepperoni and the cheese (or "cheeses" if ya wanna live dangerously).

[Citygirllost]

Sorry folks but Carmen's in Evanston and Malnati's are the best pizza in Chicago.

[mcdavis]

So true. I'm from Evanston and I defintiely agree that Carmen's is THE BEST. But Edwardo's and Giordano's are also AMAZING. Damn, it's hard to find good pizza out here in LA!! : - (

[chefrasta]

I love Italian Fiesta pizza.Used to order it from 79th st. all the time.Now if I want deep dish Edwardo's or Giordano's is the way to go.By the way dont sleep on Home run inn.

[GregJL]

Dat's not really sayin'a whole lot, since Chicago pizza SUCKS. :)

[Shrinath]

The only pizzas that I can eat are all from Manhattan. All other pizzas suck.

[Whinger]

Jeez! I hate pizza!

[Blitzkrieg Barbie]

Me too. Thank God I found someone else not as normal.

[Big0725]

Philistines!

[esgabel]

Unos, Dues, Gino's East, Father and Sons, and Rias were all my favorites when I grew up in Chicago--I still love the thick crust pizzas the best but thick or thin Chicago Pizza is the best and still miss it since I've lived out of state for almost 30 years...

[cdub1991]

Gino's East...haven't thought about that in years. Memories...

[publanski]

I've lived all over the country, and it's true, Chicago pizza is the best. I worked at a pizza resaurant supply warehouse on the south side during the summer during college. I was lucky enough to deliver, and sample, pizza from all over Chicago. I wish there was somewhere where I live now that had pizza half as good. It's like you can't get a good pizza west of the Mississippi.

[freddie11]

Having lived in the city of Chicago for 20 years, I am not only so proud to have voted for Obama when he was in state politics, but also voted to send him to the US Senate and now the White House!
I've been all over the world and have and have spent time in places from Beijing to London, but there is no place like Chicago.
The skyline is breathtaking, especially at night, we have more beaches per mile than San Diego, the lakefront has a 26 mile bike path beginning in Evanston and ending by the Museum of Science and Industry. There are no commercial properties along the lakefront. We have awesome summer festivals like the Taste of Chicago and the Air and Water show. Real estate is very reasonable, even if you live downtown. And the winters are not that bad!!!
When we get snow (and I'm sure if the Obamas parked on the street at some point), you dig out your space and prop anything from lawn chairs to sofas while you're out.....that's your spot and it;s an unwritten law that no one else dare take it.
So, I'd like to invite the world to come visit our city, the home of our newly elected President Obama!

[esgabel]

Well said!

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

I have to agree with everything you said... but.....

"There are no commercial properties along the lakefront."

There ~are~ some exceptions:

* Oak St. Beachstro (open only in non-winter months)
* Navy Pier (lest we forget RIVA's, Bubba Gump, Joe's Be-Bop Cafe, etc.)
* LakePoint Towers (only living space east of Lake Shore Drive.. Thanks Mayor Daley the First!)
* Beach front concession stands

I'm picking nits but I'm glad that "THE CITY" is opening up stuff along our glorious lakefront without letting anything chintzy obstruct the view.

[Quinctia]

I don't know, I think the winters ARE that bad. Everything else is cool.

[Yalegirl03]

Yes. Chicago is wonderful. Although the winters are long and hard, the summers packed full of free festivals, music, and the awesome lake front make up for it. I miss the Chi! Sniff..sniff!

[L3ftofC3nter]

Armands in DC has pretty good deep dish pizza. I like Gino's East in Chicago. Chicago does have the best pizza though. By far..

[freddie11]

Giordano's is good....................but Lou Malnali's beats em all.

[Totto]

In Portland, OR, it's Nostrana and Ken's Artisan Pizza among others.

[publanski]

There is no good pizza in Portland. I lived there three years and searched in vain.
There is no good pizza west of the Mississippi.

[PCRX]

Mmmmmmmm Pizza........

[NickConrad]

Home Run Inn, are you kidding me? Get some Giordano's already.

[snakehead]

Home Run Inn Pizza in Chicago is one of the best. I also recommend a "Cheese Beef" or "Itialian Beef" from Damenzo's.

You can have them fed ex'd to you.

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

Amen, snake!
I was just there last week. As always, it was a near religulous experience ;-)
...make mine family size with extra cheese and extra Italian sausage... or should I say "SAH-SIDGE"

[bitterfly77]

Congratulations to Italian Fiesta Pizza for their share in this Obama victory! I've had many a Chicago pizza, but have yet to have the privilege of experiencing this place. I'm so glad that Chicago is getting such coverage with Obama's win. It's a beautiful city that is routinely undervalued and underestimated. I'm guessing this is mostly because of its geographical location in the Midwest (from my perspective, cities on the coasts seem to get more respect).

I'm someone who absolutely loves New York City and the major cities of the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, in particular), but Chicago is special in a very different way. It has the cosmopolitan concentration that New York has, as well as a very midwestern sense of politeness, subtlety and laid-backness that you can't really find in any of the other major cities in the U.S.

I hope it wins its 2016 bid for the Summer Olympics, and I hope it finally gets the tremendous respect that it deserves for being progressive, beautiful and cosmopolitan.

[donveylindsey]

donvey lindsey that looks like a good pizza

[DuPageDem]

Points to Obama for understanding that real Chicago pizza is thin crust, not the deep dish glop foisted on tourists. There's one problem with the photo, though. Real Chicago pizza is cut into little squares, not slices.

[vmonter]

pizza is pizza, comes either thin or thick. chicago and new york don't have different pizza styles. there are different pizza styles in both!

i wish more places offered spicy sauce.

[bdl0715]

Deep dish pizza was created in Chicago. DuPage, I think you've been in the burbs too long. Deep dish is authentically Chicago where thin crust was actually brought over from Italy.

[DuPageDem]

Sorry, I'm native born, third generation, and you have no clue what you're talking about. I remember when deep dish first came out in Chicago -- blame Uno -- and it was long after genuine, unique Chicago style thin crust.

[EvasDaddy]

"There's one problem with the photo, though. Real Chicago pizza is cut into little squares, not slices."

Looks like little squares to me. What picture are YOU looking at?

[steve-annie]

Probably looking at the top photo, showing O eating a wedge-slice of pizza. The lower photo of a pie does appear to be cut into squares. Here in NYC square slicing is reserved for thick-crust rectangular-shaped "Sicilian" pizzas.

[TioNed]

That depends. Smaller Chicago pizzas are usually cut in slices, larger ones often in squares. Lots of places sell pizza by the slice, though.

[4wehttam]

I love the all meat pizza....yum yum. Sorry, just wanted to share that. Wish I lived in Chicago so I can go see all the places Barack's been too.

[vmonter]

whole wheat crust, red sauce, mozza cheese / blend, kalamata olives, garlic, feta, spinach, ---> best pizza

[ricitizen]

semolina is the best crust, red sauce, mozzarella cheese, peperoni. Make sure the cheese is spread evenly and all the way to the perimeter of the pie.

The best. NYC, Brooklyn, and Greenwich Villiage.