Sunday: President Obama, First Lady Host Annual Black Tie Governors' Dinner

The first formal event of 2012 anchors a trio of upcoming dinners...will the President lead the Governors in a conga line this year?
UPDATE, Feb. 26: CLICK HERE for a full post about the event
On Sunday evening, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host their first major dinner for 2012 when they roll out the red carpet for America's top state leaders with their fourth annual Governors Dinner. (Above: As is a habit, the President toasted with water at last year's dinner)

More than 100 guests, including Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, and Cabinet Secretaries, as well as the governors and their spouses or dates, are expected for the 7:10 PM black-tie affair in the State Dining Room. Following dessert, there will be a performance by a well-known entertainer in the East Room (Gladys Knight wowed the crowd last year). All high-profile dinners that the President and Mrs. Obama hosted in 2011 starred beef as the entree, and for the past three years, each four-course menu for the Governors Dinner has, too.

In 2009 and 2010, the President and Mrs. Obama led their guests in a conga line that snaked through the East Room. This Sunday is the night that Hollywood hands out the Academy Awards, and that was the case during last year's Governors Dinner, too. The President joked about the Oscars during his toast, while simultaneously appearing in a video clip on the global telecast; he named "As Time Goes By," from "Casablanca," as his favorite film song of all time.

"I know some of you may be confused and think this is the Oscars," President Obama said. "There are some similarities. First of all everyone looks spectacular, and the second thing is if I speak too long the music will start playing."

The governors are in Washington for the annual Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association, chaired by Dave Heineman, Republican of Nebraska, who has disagreed with the White House position on the Keystone XL Pipeline. Two were named this week as National Co-Chairs for the President's re-elect campaign: Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Ted Strickland, former Governor of Ohio, is also a co-chair. The Governors will be meeting with the President and Mrs. Obama at the White House, in addition to the dinner. (Above: Patrick was seated at the Head Table beside the First Lady at last year's dinner)

The dinner is the first of a trio of high-profile dinners the President and Mrs. Obama will host over the next month: On Feb. 29, the President and Mrs. Obama will welcome about 200 guests for the formal "A Nation's Gratitude Dinner," which will honor veterans of the Iraq war. On March 13, they will welcome Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Mrs. Samantha Cameron for a State Dinner, the sixth of the Administration.

The menus...and special guest chefs...
The 2011 Governors Dinner starred Local Black Angus Beef with Blue Crab as the entree, and had special guests chefs: Students from Harriet Tubman Elementary School joined the White House chefs in preparing the meal. The school has been adopted by the chefs as part of the First Lady's Chefs Move to Schools project, an important Let's Move! component. (Above: During the 2011 Governors Dinner, Executive Chef Cris Comerford, center, plates the appetizer from a station in the Old Family Dining Room as waiters stand by)

The Tubman kids harvested winter spinach and other greens and herbs from Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden, as well as worked on the pastry side of the kitchen, helping Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and his team create the dessert: Coconut Sorbet in a Chocolate Shell, accompanied by Poached Tropical Fruits made with White House Honey. Gladys Knight performed after the dinner.

For the 2010 Governors Dinner, the entree was Rib Eye Roast with Shrimp Scampi (the full menu is here). Harry Connick, Jr. and his Big Band wowed the guests after dinner.

The 2009 Governors Dinner was the first black tie dinner the President and Mrs. Obama hosted after moving into the White House. It also stands out in Obama food history as the first and last time Mrs. Obama welcomed the press into the kitchen for a dinner preview, joining the chefs to discuss the menu. This longstanding First Lady tradition of explaining menus to the press is something that Mrs. Obama rapidly disposed of. The entree was Nebraska Wagyu Beef and Nantucket Scallops (the full menu is here) and Earth, Wind & Fire performed after the dinner.

*Comerford photo by Pete Souza/White House. Others by AP/pool.