Entertaining at The White House: State Dinner 2012

A video preview of the kitchen preparations for the White House State Dinner, March 14, 2012

A final touchup before President and Mrs Obama emerge to greet the arrival of the British Prime Minister.  (I'm sure it's an Oreck.)

President and Mrs Obama hosted their sixth state dinner last night when David Cameron Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland visited.  It was a large party with 450 guests.  As yet the only controversy (and it's not even that) is that Anna Wintour of Vogue magazine wore a repeat dress.  

The Menu:

First Course

Crisped Halibut with Potato Crust

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Applewood Smoked Bacon

Second Course

Spring Garden Lettuces

Shallot Dressings, Shaved Breakfast Radish

Cucumbers and Avocados

Main Course

Bison Wellington

Red Wine Reduction, French Beans, Cipollini Onions

Dessert

Warm Meyer Lemon Steamed Pudding

with Idaho Huckleberry Sauce

and Newtown Pippin Apples

"An American wine will be paired with each course."

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I am surprised by the last line on the menu.  Why would the White House not continue the tradition of publishing the selected wines for the dinner?  Had the wines not been chosen in time for inclusion on the menu?  That seems unlikely.  Others have suggested that it was to avoid the controversy which arose on the last state dinner when the featured wines began to sell for nearly four hundred dollars a bottle after the dinner (and regular retail on the bottle was just over one hundred dollars).  Whatever the reason, the absence of the wine selections breaks an important tradition and limits the exposure of many fine American vineyards.  I'm  all for the tradition of the royal warrant system if need be.

Earlier I posted a photo of a table setting which turns out to be another table setting, not the setting from last night.  The above photo is from last night's dinner.  It's very hard to read the settings here but I like the low centerpieces of roses.