Sailors who excel during their careers the Culinary Specialist (CS) rating might find themselves assigned a very special billet: The White House
The tradition of Navy personnel providing food and dining services to the Nation's Commander-in-Chief goes back more than 135 years, when President Rutherford B. Hayes was served by Navy stewards aboard his Presidential yacht, the USS
Despatch. Ever since, the Navy has assigned the cream of its culinary crop to serve on the Presidential food service—and not just on ships or boats.
After Franklin Roosevelt established the Presidential retreat he dubbed "Shangri-La" (now Camp David) in 1942, he ordered that the Navy to handle the mess duties there using Stewards from his yacht, the USS
Potomac. Whether he selected the Navy as the service to handle Presidential dining duties was due to his close relationship to the Navy (he served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1913 to 1920) or because of the Navy's burgeoning culinary reputation among the branches of the armed services isn't clear. But his decision firmly cemented the relationship between the Navy and White House dining.
During President Truman's second term in office, Rear Admiral Robert Dennison suggestd that a Commissioned Officers Mess be created at the White House. His recommendation became reality on June 11, 1951 with the establishment of the Presidential Food Service and the White House Mess. Guiding the creation of the service was Lieutenant Leo W. Roberts, who was serving as the Presidential Mess Officer aboard Truman’s' Presidential Yacht the USS
Williamsburg.
Though Presidents choose personal chefs, the Presidential Food Service is tasked with providing the food service, including security and sanitation, for the President and First Family. The Service is also responsible for the gourmet meals that are served during visits from foreign heads of state and other dignitaries. A menu from the White House Mess for March 20, 2012 reveals that the day's specials included Greek Beef Salad, Panko Fried Chicken, Grilled Scallops with Tomato Relish, and Penne with Zucchini and Fresh Basil.
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