Tray chic

Photo: Michael Jarecki

Like every other public servant in the city, President-elect Obama has spent a fair amount of time at Manny’s, where there are as many Chicago politicos as there are corned-beef sandwiches. But unlike his cohorts, Obama has also been known to put in time at Hyde Park cafeteria Valois (1518 E 53rd St, 773-667-0647)—which suggests he may not be going to Manny’s for the mingling, but because he actually enjoys cafeteria-style dining.

So if you want to eat presidentially, you might want to pick up a tray at other cafeterias, like Market Creations, located in the Civic Opera House (20 N Wacker Dr, 312-629-4920), so you can bone up on arts issues, or a Mexican grocery-store fonda, like Restaurant La Casa Del Pueblo (1834 S Blue Island Ave, 312-421-4664), where you can brush up on your Spanish.

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