The politics of lunch

You cant say Aramark is politically biased, at least not against either of the two major U.S. parties. The company recently managed the

"On the surface, it might appear that the food serviceneeds at both conventions would be similarthat definitely was not the case," says Aramark Chairman/ CEO Joseph Neubauer.

Of course, the different cities beg for different cuisine just for the sake of giving all the out-of-to delegates a taste of the local culinary environment.

So in Philadelphia, the standards included Philly cheesecakes-of course!-and hoagies, while Los Angeles showed off California cuisine staples like seared tuna nicoise salad and grilled vegetable panini.

Philadelphia-home of mythical character Rocky Balboawas also heavy on Italian-American favorites like pizza and Italian sausage sandwiches. The Los Angeles Democrats favored pasta salads and Tex-Mex.

Whatever the political persuasion, the volumes consumed were prodigious. Aramark reports that it had purchased more than two tons of beef for cheesesteaks and 12,000 Philly soft pretzels to slake the appetites of the Republicans.

Meanwhile, the ice used to cool all those trendy California drinks consumed by the Los Angeles Democrats could have paved the ice rink at the Staples Center (home of the NHU Los Angeles Kings) for the next decade.