President Joe Biden held his first state dinner, welcoming French President Emmanuel Macro, served up a lavish dining selection of desserts and seafood on the menu, according to Fox News.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, as they arrive for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, DC, December 1, 2022. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) Photo courtesy LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images
Traditionally, menus for state dinners have historically been displays of culinary diplomacy, sometimes featuring admiring nods to the guests’ cuisine and often showcasing the bounty of America’s farms and fields, according to the Washington Post.
White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison present the dishes on the menu during a media preview of the state dinner for the president of France in the State Dining Room of the White House Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Photo courtesy Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images
For the first course, guests were served a butter poached lobster accented with a tarragon sauce along with a delicata squash ravioli and American osetra caviar. That was followed by a “calotte of beef,” a lesser-known cut of well-marbled beef more often called a “coulotte,” served with a shallot marmalade, triple-cooked potatoes, sunchokes, creamed watercress and a red-wine reduction.
Butter Poached Maine Lobster, American Osetra Caviar, Delicata Squash Raviolo, and Tarragon Sauce is presented during a media preview ahead of the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 30, 2022. Photo courtesy Oliver Contreras / AFP) (Photo by OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images
Calotte of Beef, Shallot Marmalade, Triple Cooked Butter Potatoes, Sunchoke and Creamed Watercress, and Red Wine Reduction is presented during a media preview ahead of the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 30, 2022. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP) Photo courtesy OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images
Biden's menu also included a bit of a French influence with a pre-dessert cheese course (featuring Oregon’s Rogue River Blue cheese, which won the World Cheese Awards gold medal, a goat cheese from California, and a cheddar from Wisconsin.) Finishing out the dinner was an orange chiffon cake with roasted, and creme fraiche ice cream.
White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison shows off a cheese plate during a media preview for the upcoming State Dinner for French President Macron, at the White House on November 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Joe Biden will host French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron for a State visit tomorrow at the White House. Photo courtesy Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Orange Chiffon Cake, Roasted Pears with Citrus Sauce, and Creme Fraiche Ice Cream is presented during a media preview ahead of the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 30, 2022. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP) (Photo courtesy OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images
The meal’s preparation was being overseen by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison, veterans of multiple administrations.
Menu, porcelain plates, glasses and tableware are pictured during the state dinner hosted by the French President for the South Korean President at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on October 15, 2018. (Photo by Christophe Petit-Tesson / POOL / AFP) Photo courtesy CHRISTOPHE PETIT-TESSON/AFP via Getty Images
A place setting during a media preview for the upcoming state dinner for French President Macron at the White House Nov. 30, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The décor for the dinner was inspired by red, white and blue, the shared colors of the American and French flags, and “our common values: liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship,” according to CNN. The flowers on the tables featured mostly roses; American Beauty varietals and Piano Roses, deep red blooms. French-made Champagne flutes were used for toasting, but filled with American sparkling wine. Tall candelabras holding blood-red candles are meant to mimic the Statue of Liberty, France’s gift to the United States. And so on.
A place setting is seen during a media preview for the upcoming state dinner for French President Macron at the White House Nov. 30, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
A table is set during a media preview ahead of the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 30, 2022. Photo courtesy Oliver Contreras/AFP/Getty Images
"The design of this dinner was inspired by the shared colors of our flags — red, white and blue—and our common values, liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship," the first lady said in a statement. "These form the bedrock upon which our enduring friendship was built."
