Papal Eats . . .

Last month we blogged on Lidia Bastianich, the Italian chef who will have the honor of cooking for the Pope during his stay in New York.

This week, NBC4 News introduces us to the Cafe Milano -- the restaurant chosen to cater the Pope's birthday party at the Vatican embassy:

It doesn't happen every single day for a pope, and that day should be perfect," said executive chef Fabio Salvatore.

Salvatore is the only person who knows what's on the menu, which he said will include four courses. He also is using one of his family's pasta recipes. ...

The Pope will also be dining on more Southwestern fare as well -- according to the El Paso Times, the owners of Carlos and Mickey's restaurants in El Paso, TX are preparing a platter of maize products to be eaten on April 19th:

When El Pasoan Rosa A. Saenz was asked whether she and her family could prepare some of the food that will be served to Pope Benedict XVI when he visits the United States next week, she wept.

"I cried cause it is an honor that we would be chosen to do this," said Saenz, the owner of Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey's restaurant. "Who are we?" ...

"This is so important, delivering food for the pope, that we cannot ship it," said Carolina Arrambide, the family matriarch, who will travel to New York next week. "We have to go not only to represent the restaurant, but to represent the city of El Paso."

Following a tradition in of greeting guests with various foods indigenous to an area, the organizers of the papal youth rally will be presenting five platters representing dark bread, light bread, unleavened bread, rice and maize. The maize platter will have tamales, tortillas, gorditas, tostadas and sopaipillas made at Carlos & Mickey's.