Every sitting president of the last three decades has dined at Cafe Milano—up until Donald Trump broke the streak. Now, Joe Biden is continuing the tradition: He had dinner at the Georgetown Italian restaurant Sunday night with his granddaughter Naomi Biden and her husband Peter Neal.
With a few exceptions, Biden has stuck to the most stereotypical Washington “power spots” while dining out in DC during his presidency. He’s already made multiple visits to Le Diplomate and Fiola Mare, both famed for their high-profile clientele. (Less expected: a recent taco run to Taqueria Habanero on Cinco de Mayo.) Cafe Milano is no exception: owner Franco Nuschese’s see-and-be-seen dining room has hosted countless heads of state, popes, celebrities, government bigwigs on both sides of the aisle, and other VIPs. Even though Trump never went, the restaurant was dubbed the “second White House cafeteria” in the early years of his administration. The place seems to pop up in Politico Playbook practically ever week.
As a longtime creature of Washington, Biden is no stranger to Cafe Milano either. He’s been there numerous times over the years, including while he was VP and in 2019 with his son Hunter Biden.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
