Soon after he’s sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump will dine on Maine lobster, Gulf shrimp, and Seven Hills Angus beef, to name a few dishes.
These foods are all on the menu for the inaugural luncheon, a long-standing tradition in which the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies hosts a meal for the president and vice president at the Capitol following the inaugural address.
The committee organized its first luncheon in 1953, when lawmakers welcomed President Dwight Eisenhower for creamed chicken, baked ham and potato puffs in the Capitol’s Old Senate Chamber.
Dishes, consumed between toasts, gift presentations and speeches, often encompass foods from the home states of the new leaders, though Trump’s menu owes heavily to California, not his home state of New York or Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s state of Indiana.
President Barack Obama’s 2013 luncheon boasted a menu of steamed lobster, grilled bison and apple pie.
Trump’s, which will be held in the Statuary Hall, will feature three courses.
The first, Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp with saffron sauce and peanut crumble, will be accompanied by a J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay.
The Gulf shrimp may be a tribute to Florida, where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located and which the President-elect has called his “second home.”
This will be followed by grilled Seven Hills Angus beef in dark chocolate and juniper jus with potato gratin, served alongside Delicato Black Stallion 2012 Limited Release Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
For dessert, guests will feast on chocolate soufflé and cherry vanilla ice cream served with Korbel Natural “Special Inaugural Cuvée” California Champagne.
Those looking for a taste of the inauguration can indulge affordably; the champagne, which has been served at many inaugural luncheons, can be purchased for as little as $13.
