Food history lover!
Welcome, there's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, enjoy our television series and digital exhibitions. We hope you enjoy our site and take a moment to drop us a line. We also welcome private tours for groups, churches, & clubs.
In the town named after the President of the United States
The US Presidential Culinary Museum®
Ever moving forward as the goliath, we have had 30 million+ visitors to the center, website, museum, theater, and have been featured on CNN International, ABC, CBS, NBC, Spectrum, Vitaya, BrusselsTV, NHK Tokyo, PBS, and FOX to almost three billion viewers. Guests staying at The Inn of the Patriots enjoy a private tour. We've featured in 160+ newspapers and magazines on earth in 14 years. As seen in the Official Museum Directory in partnership with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), as a Blue Star Museum with the National Endowment for the Arts, a licensed partner with Google Cultural Institute (enter for digital collections), and officially listed with the North Carolina Museum Council (NCMC) we are featuring each of the Presidents.
Additionally, artifacts, antiques, and individual items have been sent from the United States National Archives, The Bush Foundations, President Carter, President Reagan, President Ford, President Obama, President Trump, President Eisenhower, and The Clinton Foundation. The Presidential Culinary Museum® is a small portion of the United States Food History Museum™ (USFHM) & World Food History Museum™ (WFHM) heralding Presidential Food Service, the slow food movement, major food manufacturers and their brands, as well as the famous icons developed in America sold worldwide like the Baby Ruth candy bar, Heinz catsup, Coca-Cola, Reeses and so many more.
See our US Presidential Service Center Press Office for a complete list of the past 50 Media Advisories, News Releases, and Press Releases over the years. There is high resolution, 300-DPI photographs in Chef Marti Mongiello's Press Office. Catch us in a new, four-part mini-series with CBS Television (click here) showcasing the Trump, museum, Clinton, and Lincoln episodes!
The museum is utilizing our current success of Inside the Presidents' Cabinet shows. As a private, for-profit museum, we excel. We have also been bringing our museum on the road to your group, community hall, church, or country club for presentations and dinners with as many as 500 dining.
- Licensed historians curate our collections and are expanding our web offerings.
- Guests staying at The Inn of the Patriots enjoy a private tour of the food museum.
- Defeat our Pokemon GYM leader! (The museum was listed worldwide by the Pokemon GO Game as a gymnasium). Play Harry Potter from your car, also.
- The museum building talks out loud on 540 AM radio. Try it in your car!
- See our exhibits online of Clinton and Cleveland: "Democrats with good taste..."
- Enjoy the Bush Foundation items sent from the National Archives and President Bush's planes on display.
- Join us for the Annual White House Chefs Easter Egg Roll on Easter Monday - synchronized with the White House.
- See the new Trump exhibit with items sent by the Trumps, the Obama Chi-Dog with Obama items, and more.
- Over 20+ first ladies' exclusive china designs with colors.
- It is not run by the White House nor any government institution - a private museum controlled by a private board of trustees and many former White House servants, writers, and protection units of the CIA, FBI, NDI, and USSS.
These are the private and public collections curated by Chef Martin CJ Mongiello - a former Executive Chef to the President of the United States of America, including exhibit items and artifacts sent by the National Archives and several Presidential Foundations. We are located in what is known as The White House, in the town named after the President, Grover, NC. Other collections from private foundations include the Miller, Griffith, Mancuso, Bush, Trump, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton families and libraries. Additionally, we showcase the US Navy, our own Presidential Food Service, why the White House has two restaurants inside of it staffed by Navy chefs, and how Captain Patrick J. Casey, USN, Ret. Commanding Officer of the USS Asheville and Vice Admiral Albert Konetzni, Jr., USN, Ret. sent chef Marti (our CEO) away to the White House Military Office (WHMO). Casey has been featured in the Main Case of Glass #7 and Mirror, on floor one, since 2008 and listed in the Official Museum Directory in partnership with the American Association of Museums. The tour traverses two levels of the historic mansion. Some events may also include the grounds tour outside. Click here to sign up for our once-a-month newsletter.
See the world awarded exhibits & recipes for the launch of the movie, Jackie, & us on FOX.
New Jill and Joe Biden exhibit
(Grover, NC) "Our former White House Chef, Marti Mongiello just got off the phone with CNN International this weekend, and YES, it's true! President Biden LOVES ICE CREAM! states Antwain Thomas, Chief Development Officer at the US Presidential Culinary Museum. He is also a big fan of pasta and red sauce.
When it comes to Ice Cream, his favorite is from a fellow Chef, Jeni Britton Bauer! "Jeni owns Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream of Columbus, Ohio," states Thomas. Chef Marti has been fielding calls from colleagues across the world. "Everyone wants to call and then asks, so what's he eating?"
In 2016, Biden said, "I'm Joe Biden and I love ice cream!" He also loves a famous, "Bobbie," sandwich. The nationally acclaimed best-seller with homemade turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo in a hoagie roll from Capriotti's Sandwich Shop of Delaware!
"His favorite flavor is Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flakes!" mentions Thomas, who worked on the public education policy with the Obama Biden White House. "President Biden is like many of our modern Presidents when it comes to a treat now and then. Nixon loved a Carl's Jr. hamburger, Clinton enjoyed McDonald's and still eats burgers today with the new plant-based burgers, Trump loves Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Big Mac, so when we saw President Biden in a Dairy Queen turning a Blizzard upside down for the camera - we loved it!!!"
And check out Jill Biden's famous Parmesan Chicken recipe on our recipe page!
President Biden with a Blizzard for National Dessert Day, 2020. (Biden campaign 2020)
Enjoy our online and in-person museum collections
See the Jefferson china & exhibit with off pieces bought in Paris
See the Jefferson china & exhibit with off pieces bought in Paris
See the Jefferson china & exhibit with off pieces bought in Paris
7.30.1787: “The dry rice of Cochinchina has the reputation of being whitest to the eye, best flavored to the taste, and most productive. It seems then to unite the good qualities of both the others [white S. Carolina rice & brown Piedmont/Lombardy rice] known to us. Could it supplant them, it would be a great happiness, as it would enabl
7.30.1787: “The dry rice of Cochinchina has the reputation of being whitest to the eye, best flavored to the taste, and most productive. It seems then to unite the good qualities of both the others [white S. Carolina rice & brown Piedmont/Lombardy rice] known to us. Could it supplant them, it would be a great happiness, as it would enable us to get rid of those ponds of stagnant water so fatal to human health and life.” —to William Drayton
From Thomas Jefferson
Examine the new Truman seal & see THE BUCK STOPS HERE!
See the Jefferson china & exhibit with off pieces bought in Paris
See the Jefferson china & exhibit with off pieces bought in Paris
"I've liked lots of people 'til I went on a picnic jaunt with them."
Bess Truman
I deplore any action which denies artistic talent an opportunity to express itself because of prejudice against race origin.
Bess Truman
"The White House is the finest prison in the world."
Harry S Truman
Washington's china with a snake biting its tail on display
See the Jefferson china & exhibit with off pieces bought in Paris
Washington's china with a snake biting its tail on display
7.31.1797: "Unless someone pops in, unexpectedly, Mrs. Washington and myself will do what I believe has not been [done] within the last twenty years by us, that is to set down to dinner by ourselves."--to Tobias Lear
From George Washington
Featured Exhibit: Jackie, How Could You?
One of our special digital exhibits
See the "Jackie - How Could You?" exhibit featuring Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis celebrating the motion picture "Jackie," and the CNN television series "American Dynasties: The Kennedys."
"Jackie - How Could You?" appeared as a HEADLINE on the front cover of newspapers from Stockholm to London. In disbelief, many called for ex-communication via the church due to marrying Aristotle Socrates Onassis and for Jackie to forever be branded as a public sinner. Filth and shame cannot be excused by men who control the churches. Today, Jackie is still listed as a Public Sinner next to her name in her church. The violations of church law were dealt with by numerous attorneys handling the claims of revulsion and disgrace. Jackie also lost her US Secret Service protection under American law when she remarried.
It was a true honor to be featured on FOX again after they filmed at The US Presidential Culinary Museum and US Presidential Service Center. We decided to utilize the pink President Buchanan china on the 2004 First Ladies Luncheon charger since Jackie loved pinks. We also utilized some of Executive Chef Stormy's French crystal for the Strawberries Romanoff. This original recipe (Strawberries Romanoff) was created by White House Executive Chef Rene Verdon, who served it at the luncheon for Princess Grace and Prince Ranier of Monaco, hosted by JFK and Jackie in 1961.
Click here to view the Jackie O Dessert Video! And watch Chef Marti on FOX Television preparing the Strawberries Romanoff that was served on May 24, 1961, to Princess Grace and Prince Ranier. And on this page is the recipe to print out. Also, be on the lookout for a Kennedy fave of Boston Creme Pie!
People have often asked our Senior Curator, Marti Mongiello, about being a Butler, Valet, Aide, and Estate Manager to the White House Military Office (WHMO). They already know that he is a great Executive Chef and Bartender.
What they never ask him about is what it is like to be a Curator of a museum? In this regard, the 2017 exhibit began for Jackie and the new movie was a lot of fun, disheartening at times (to find out the truth), and insightful about women. Our exhibit opened on December 2, 2017, and showcases Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The newspaper headlines across Europe were in bold lettering when she re-married, "Jackie, How Could You?" Discover not only Jackie's favorite dishes like Strawberries Romanoff but also her being listed as a Public Sinner and her later marriage to Aristotle Socrates Onassis.
A special thanks to our sponsors and helpers of Trackside Trader with Bobby Horne and Sharon Fraley Horne in Kings Mountain, DITTO Antiques of King's Mountain, The Presidential Service Center in Grover, Grover Antiques with Ann Hoyle and team, items from The White House Historical Association, Andrew Martin "Drew" King Museum Consulting Marketing Partners of New York, Sindo Mayor of Premier Barter, Joan Vitale, the Zwillinger family in honor of Goldie Zwillinger, Mother of AMM2 Harold Zwillinger killed in combat onboard USS Randolph, the uncle of Martin Harold Vitale (husband to Joan Vitale who donated the original gold star flag on display from WWII). The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Zwillinger, 50 E. 21st., Brooklyn, NY originally held the flag. See the flag behind the GI Joe doll of JFK in his WWII uniform.
"Jackie, How Could You?" Features the taboo museum topics of public and church outcry against her upon announcing the marriage to Aristotle Socrates Onassis of the Greek Orthodox Church and that relation to Dolly Payne Todd Madison being removed from her church for marrying again, the delegate James, from another religion.
Additional items showcased in the new exhibit include her hallmarks on fashion - including with Oleg Cassini via a licensed white dress she wore on the India State visit, food favorites and family recipes of Beef Stroganoff, Poulet a l' Estragon, Boula Boula, Souffle Froid au Chocolat, Strawberries Romanoff prepared LIVE on FOX television in Charlotte, menus from private dinners given inside the White House including Quenelles of Sole au Gratin, Roast Sirloin Vert-Pre, Peas a la Francaise, Potatoes Gaufrettes, Galantine of Chicken, Bombe Glacee Fellab and Petits-fours sec, as well as disproving she was just a sweet, simple, somewhat kept girl.
The exhibit highlights Jackie as an educated lady who was working for Viking and Doubleday Publishing, editing several famed books (featured on site including three Nobel Prize winners by Naguib Mahfouz) and as a figurehead for rights of numerous social causes. The items on display include beautiful and stunning china directly from the White House Historical Association, china via Mottahedeh made in Portugal and used in US Embassies, a replica coconut written on by President Kennedy when he was stranded from the PT 109 having sunken, an original Gold Star Flag from WWII, the gold clock authorized by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to be replicated from the Grand Central Station which she helped save in New York, a 1970's electric Royal Typewriter, a 1960's pillbox hat, the menu served to Princess Grace and Prince Ranier (featured in another episode) by Jackie and JFK, and the first-ever US Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) with a green pickle on top of it for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) having just recently been declassified (the PICL from the Pickle Factory) in 2016 (55 years later and called the President's Intelligence Check List (PICL). This is an exhibit not to be missed. In 2019 and 2020 additional items of a gold and silver commemorative coin, commemorative dinner brochure, and upgrades were added. Enjoy a bit more, here, with this co-sponsored exhibit at the United States Presidential Service Center - "Cabinet-Level" projects.
Then see our physical exhibit
We purposely showcase different items online that cannot be experienced unless in person. Only by staying at the actual museum inside of The Inn of the Patriots can you then enjoy all of our exhibits and glass cases - as well as eat history! We are not a public museum and are not open to the public for walk-in traffic, mega-motor coaches, and busses. Book a two-night stay with us!
That famous luncheon with HRH Prince Ranier & Princess Grace...
Their Serene Highness The Prince and Princess (formerly Grace Kelly of Philadelphia and Hollywood fame) of Monaco luncheon held by President and First Lady Kennedy. May 24, 1961. White House. National Archives. Menu prepared by Chef Rene' Verdon.
The table seating chart for the luncheon at the White House. People always ask us who is AT THE TABLE!!!??? White House. National Archives.
The White House luncheon menu for May 24, 1961. Everyone always wants to know what they ate and if we really serve Dom Perignon for lunch!? White House. National Archives.
First Lady Jackie Kennedy, Prince Ranier, Princess Grace, and President Kennedy. This photo was taken on the day of the luncheon. White House. National Archives.
A letter from Prince Ranier's Private Secretary to President Kennedy. White House. National Archives.
The secretive and private letter sent by Prince Ranier to the President, recalling the luncheon - and what he wants... White House. National Archives.
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