Dinner fit for a president: Friday's menu showcases Canadian ingredients

OTTAWA -

United States President Joe Biden is staying in Ottawa on his short trip north of the border, but the catering team from the National Arts Centre plans to take him on a cross-country culinary tour Friday evening.

The president and first lady Jill Biden are set to be the guests of honour at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.

The meal, put together by executive chef Kenton Leier, features ingredients such as East Coast yellowfin tuna, Alberta beef, flaxseed, Quebec maple syrup and Yukon gold potatoes.

The three courses also include a cabernet sauvignon jus made with wine from Pelee Island Winery in Kingsville, Ont., and a rum caramel made of Newfoundland's famous Screech rum.

Because this isn't an official state dinner, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and her husband, Whit Fraser, are relieved of hosting duties -- though both will be in attendance.

The guest list also includes various cabinet ministers and leaders from Canada's business community, including Canadian American Business Council CEO Scotty Greenwood.

The Prime Minister's Office says all opposition party leaders were invited, along with former prime ministers, former ambassadors to Canada and the U.S. and members of the prime minister's NAFTA advisory council.

It seems the dinner has not escaped the partisan bickering that has taken over Parliament Hill of late: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is attending the dinner, but earlier Friday that remained in doubt, with his office having said it had no record of receiving an invitation.

The Prime Minister's Office insisted that Poilievre was invited via email on March 15, and said he was still welcome. Before that got sorted out, Poilievre's office accused the PMO of "playing childish games."

Jean Chretien and Joe Clark will be there, along with former envoys Bruce Heyman, James Blanchard, Gordon Giffin, David Jacobson and David MacNaughton.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are also expected to be there, in their first public appearance since they were released from Chinese detention in 2021.

The two were detained for more than 1,000 days, charged with spying offences in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 at the request of the U.S. government.

National Indigenous organizations will be represented by Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed, and Metis National Council president Cassidy Caron.

Caron said she felt it was important to be there "to show the progress we are making as a nation" and to build relationships.

There will be performances by the Metis Jiggers, Inuit throat singers, an Algonquin drum group called Eagle River and musician Tyler Shaw.

Celebrity guests include filmmaker Sarah Polley, actors Eugene Levy and Gabriel LaBelle, comedian Mark Critch and musician Alan Doyle.

Other invitees include representatives of groups such as Egale Canada, Unifor, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, gun control group PolySeSouvient and Rainbow Railroad. The CEOs of GM Canada and Moderna are also on the list.

Biden attended a dinner in his honour in Ottawa in 2016, when he was vice-president to Barack Obama, and gave a toast that highlighted the deep ties between the U.S. and Canada.

The full menu for Friday night:

First course

-- Cedar salt and seaweed crusted rare-seared East Coast yellowfin tuna

-- White bean hummus, cucumber, pickled radish and bitter greens

-- Flaxseed cracker and lemon parsley emulsion

Main course

-- Alberta beef braised short rib

-- Butternut squash puree and Yukon gold potato pave

-- Wildflower honey roasted carrots and fine green beans

-- Pelee Island cabernet sauvignon jus

Dessert

-- Wild blueberry and Quebec maple mousse cake

-- Screech rum caramel and sweetgrass meringue

-- Fresh berries

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.