Jefferson's White House

President Jefferson turned the White House into the most interesting social center of the new city. His staff included two Frenchmen; to administer the White House, Jefferson hired Etienne Lemaire, and as his chef, 42 year old Honore Julien. The Georgetown market stalls, with produce picked only hours before, were shopped daily by Lemaire (who was often accompanied by Jefferson) for meats, eggs and vegetables including lettuce, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, shad, sturgeon, rockfish, oysters, wild game, venison, duck, pigeon, squirrel, poultry, and a variety of fruits, including local currants, strawberries and watermelons. His Monticello overseer, Edmond Bacon, on a visit to the White House, reported, "He had a very long dining-room, and his table was chock-full every one of the sixteen days I was there. There were congressmen, foreigners, and all sorts of people to dine with him. He dined at four o'clock, and they generally sat and talked until night." Dinners were lavish and were prepared by Chef Julien on a large coal-burning stove. Diplomats and politicians were treated at the President's house to menus that included "rice, soup, round of beef, turkey, mutton, ham, loin of veal, cutlets of mutton, fried eggs, fried beef, a pie called macaroni which appeared to be a rich brown crust . . . a great variety of fruit, plenty of wines and good," according to Federalist Senator Cutler.


	Jefferson & Wine
		TOPICS Passions Wine Advocate Jefferson in France Jefferson's White House Retirement Knowledge


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