All the President's Menus Trivia Quiz

Answer: James Madison

It was James Madison. Madison was born in Virginia and his wife, Dolley, was born in nearby North Carolina. Many of their favorite foods included ones they had eaten before their terms in the White House. Their entertaining, though lavish in presentation, was said to be rather informal.

This often applied to the menu which may have included cornbread muffins, chicken and okra soup, deviled eggs and a variety of cakes, cookies and ice cream. Dolley Madison was a very strong woman and a good match for her important and influential husband, James.

It was said she set the stage of society for the entire nation during her husband's terms of office. She enjoyed hosting huge parties and was in charge of every detail. Her quiet yet commanding style allowed her to become one of the most famous hostesses in the history of America.

Answer: Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren was the first American president to be born after the American Revolution - thus, he was the first to be born an American citizen. Surprisingly, English was his second language; his family spoke Dutch, he learned English at school. Very little is written about specific foods and beverages preferences and/or style beyond descriptions like: impeccable, epicure, exquisite and frugal yet lavish and simple yet hearty.

There is one story that mentioned he really liked oysters - a food featured in many Dutch recipes of his day. One historian mentioned Van Buren seemed to avoid all sweets based on a quote attributed to Van Buren that said he preferred to eat a little fruit rather than puddings and pastries. President Van Buren's wife, Hannah, died before he was elected President and he never re-married.

Answer: Millard Fillmore

Dinner with the Fillmore family would probably have included the basics - meat, potatoes and other vegetables. Most likely a hearty soup or stew before the entrée(s) and simple desserts - cakes and/or pies - would have been served after dinner. Complex foods and copious meals may not have been very important to President Fillmore but that does not indicate he was without a progressive thought process. President and First Lady, Abigail Powers Fillmore, are credited with adding many updates to The White House during their residency there. During their term of office the first iron cook stove was installed. Until then (even in the White House) cooking inside was with an open hearth. Mrs. Fillmore, who had been a school teacher before she married, was the first wife of an American President who continued to work after she became First Lady.

She was instrumental in having a library added to the White House and was said to have spent an enormous amount of time selecting the books to be included in it.

Answer: Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant lived a very modest life as a child and young adult. However, his wife, Julia Dent, was a member of a wealthy and privileged family. So, it would seem she was much more inclined to appreciate life at the very top of the nation's social circle, i.e., in the White House.

It is written that President Grant would have been very simple to sustain and entertain but his wife wanted his term of office to have its own place in history. The one meal that President Grant seemed to enjoy was breakfast.

He often ate a bountiful breakfast - meat, fish, fried apples, buckwheat cakes and strong black coffee were among his favorites. When searching for information about his favorite food, rice pudding is mentioned. Grant seemed to really like rice pudding.

Answer: Grover Cleveland

When Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom he was 49; she was 21. Her father (who died when she was not yet a teenager) had been a law partner of Grover Cleveland's and a close friend. Cleveland had known Frances since she was born. It seemed an odd pairing but from all accounts it was a very happy and successful marriage.

Although an ocean apart, America seemed to mirror the mores of Great Britain which at the time embraced the Victorian age. As mentioned in the question, Grover Cleveland seemed to be content without fancy foods.

His tenure in the White House saw its share of elaborate dinners and other lavish parties but Cleveland was often overheard to say he was much happier with "a plate of corned beef and cabbage". The cook who had served Cleveland in Albany (New York) when he was governor moved with him to Washington, D.C.

Answer: William Howard Taft

The list of favorite foods of William Howard Taft is long and varied. As mentioned, he preferred to have some steak at the start of his day but he often ate meat again during the day. There are various accounts of the large amount of food Taft would eat during one of his "snacks".

Some of his dinner favorites (in addition to steak and potatoes) included lamb chops, grilled partridge, broiled venison, Lobster a la Newburg and any/every fruit, vegetable, dessert and any beverage one could imagine. There is a story of a banquet given in honor (then) President Taft in Atlanta (Georgia) that featured Baked Possum with Baked Sweet Potatoes as the highlight of the menu for the event. Having mentioned Cleveland's inclination toward gourmand, it might be prudent to also mention he died at age 72 from cardiovascular disease.

Answer: Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover had a very humble beginning. His parents had both been raised as Quakers in Iowa but they both died before Herbert was ten years old. Hard work and determination became his constant mantra and he would become successful and very wealthy. (Using a standard of conversion to allow for inflation to match the dollars of the early 21st century, Herbert Hoover was still among the top ten Presidents considering net worth.) Understandably, the Hoovers wanted the best of everything when they were in The White House and this included their food choices and entertainment style.

Their dinner parties were often described as elegant - that of the best quality, well prepared and well presented.

Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson

It is believed that Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson were the first president and First Lady to host an outdoor barbecue at the White House. Lady Bird Johnson entertained her guests with home-style cooking - in other words, simple classics were served, no matter the occasion. Guests were often served steak and/or fried chicken, spinach (said to be LBJ's favorite vegetable), potatoes, salads and home baked rolls.

As mentioned, President Johnson enjoyed the soft drink Fresca, which is a grapefruit flavored soda.

Indeed he must have had more than just a slight preference for it; he had a fountain installed in the Oval Office (the main office or working space of the sitting president within the White House) that dispensed Fresca. How cool is that?

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Much has been written and lauded about Ronald Reagan's penchant for jelly beans. (Licorice is said to have been his favorite flavor of jelly bean.) According to the Jelly Belly Company (one of the largest distributors of the candy) Ronald Reagan kept jars of jelly beans in the Oval Office and on Air Force One (the private airplane used as transportation by the President) at all times. Mr. and Mrs. Reagan were known to be health-conscious eaters and this was reflected in their entertaining. Foods were often served in low-fat, high fiber preparations. Often fish and other seafood was the main entrée, accompanied by salads, vegetables, (low fat) breads (like pita crisps) and fruit desserts. One dessert preferred by President Reagan was baked apples drizzled with honey.

Answer: Barack Obama

The media often reported stories of President Barack Obama's appreciation of good, casual, "comfort" food. He mentioned - at various times - he enjoyed pizza. There was a locally owned pizzeria in (his home town) Chicago that was a particular favorite of his.

It was also noted he enjoyed a bowl of chili and his White House kitchen went on record to include a recipe for Turkey Chili that was a favorite of President Obama's. First Lady, Michelle Obama, was the one noted to encourage more judicious choices.

She made sure all members of the president's family and his staff had healthy snacks like raw nuts, fresh fruit and protein bars. The First Lady was likely to assure dinner was baked salmon and steamed broccoli rather than cheeseburgers, French fries and chocolate covered doughnuts.