704-937-2940 - The Presidential Culinary Museum at The Inn of the Patriots Bed & Breakfast Hotel, Grover, NC

The Presidential Culinary Museum

in the town named after the President of the United States of America

Grover, Cleveland County, North Carolina
Including Presidential Culinary Library holdings

Open on Saturday at 1 p.m. for general tours and guided tours any special day (groups especially and warmly welcomed - Admission is $5.00 per person, children under 10 are free. This is a fully guided tour of the private and public collections of Chef Martin CJ Mongiello - a former Executive Chef to the President of the United States of America. Other collections from private foundations include the Miller, Griffith, Mancuso, Bush, Carter, Reagan, Clinton families, libraries and foundations.

New 2010 Special Exhibits in NC ~ read on...

The American history making Hambrecht / Hambright family mansion home reaching into the legacy of Congressman and Lt. Colonel Frederick Hambright (famed of the Kings Mountain battle) and on to Docotr Alfred Hambright, Assistant Surgeon to Confederate Generals A.P. Hill and Stonewall Jackson winds through the house. Portions of the tour discuss service to the White House, Camp David and Vice President's houses via the famed Chefs and the US Navy Chefs. Modern Household and Estate Management service to the Forbes 400 list is also showcased along the tour which leads underground by candlelight to the servants quarters with fiddle and banjo music.

Discover the china of the American Presidents and First Ladies from the newest collections of John Quincy Adams and Dolly Madison on up to Presidents Clinton and Bush. The tour and museum traverses the entire home and ends with a meeting by the old slaves house chimney in the outdoor Chefs Herb Garden, along with a Chefs Talk, Question and Answer period. The tour also includes a behind the scenes route through the underground German Ratskeller staircase to see the secret life of servants to the elitist rich of society. You may encounter a number of personalities or seven accents along the way!

President Jefferson's dinner and desert plates are shown in the foreground with Martha
Washington, Abigail Adams and Dolly Madison in the background. Recent, Iron Chef
winner, White House Chef Chris Comerford is shown who worked with Chef Marti
under former White House Chef Walter Scheib - another Iron Chef Winner.

New 2010 Special Exhibits in NC

First Lady of the United States of America, Sarah Childress Polk and North Carolina's pride, President James Knox Polk: An historic exhibition of the UNC law graduate, their receptions in the White House, a china exhibit of their dinner plate and teacup with saucer on display next to famed favorite recipe, Hickory Nut Cake. January 11 to June 11, 2010. The Presidential Culinary Museum at The Inn of the Patriots Bed & Breakfast, Grover, Cleveland County, NC www.theinnofthepatriots.com 704-937-2940. Read about the exhibit as featured in the Gaston Gazette and Shelby Star newspapers here, with full page - full color spreads: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/presidential-43001-china-see.html

Easter Egg Roll on the Presidential Culinary Museum Lawn - Monday April 5, 2010 The White House Easter Egg Roll began in 1878 when President Hayes invited local children to roll eggs on the South Lawn. First Lady Dolly Madison first began the tradition of Easter egg rolling in Washington, when local children joined her for an egg roll at the Capitol in 1814. In the ensuing years the children made quite a mess and in 1876, Congress passed the Turf Protection Law, banning the use of the Capitol lawn as a playground. In 1877, bad weather kept everyone indoors and there was no need to enforce the law, but in 1878 children stood outside the gates of the White House until President Hayes invited them onto the grounds to continue the egg roll tradition. The White House Easter Egg Roll has taken place every year since 1878, but during the beginning of World I, World War II, and the Truman Administration’s renovation of the White House, the event was held on the National Mall instead of the South Lawn. 1927 was a landmark year in Easter egg roll history. That year, the White House hosted a young Nancy Reagan, who would go on to host eight of her own Easter egg rolls as First Lady from 1981-1988. The Presidential Culinary Museum will feature an egg roll, egg croquet, hidden egg hunt and the Easter Bunny in 2010 along with Easter snacks and drinks for free to the public. Of special not and value will be limited edition, hand signed in gold - wooden, red, white and blue painted eggs by the former Executive Chef to the President for children to find. The Presidential Culinary Museum at The Inn of the Patriots Bed & Breakfast, Grover, Cleveland County, NC www.theinnofthepatriots.com 704-937-2940. The roll will be held simultaneously and feature live webcasts from the White House available online at the Museums website as well.

Frances Folsom Cleveland: 21-year old First Lady of the White House. June 12 to December 12. The only First Lady to ever be married inside of the White House and to birth a child inside the White House - this exhibit of beauty and favorite orange blossoms celebrates her love with President Grover Cleveland, The Presidential Culinary Museum at The Inn of the Patriots Bed & Breakfast, Grover, Cleveland County, NC www.theinnofthepatriots.com 704-937-2940.

Annual Gingerbread Display of Camp David Cabins and Presidential Resort in the Catoctin Mountains. December 13, 2010 to January 10, 2011. Chefs Stormy, Marti and JT have made an annual event out of showcasing Camp David where Marti was a Manager of the retreat and resort complex. Taking care of four restaurants, numerous lodging facilities, a US Secret Service hotel and 16 homes owned by the US President is no small task! The staffs are massive in size and scope and the homes are rarely featured or shown in history. A fun look at the historic homes is had in gingerbread every year and started in 2009 with the President's home of Aspen, formerly known as the Bear's Den or Bear's Lodge at Shangri-la. President Eisenhower renamed it at his wife's request to Aspen. He also renamed Shangri-la to Camp David after his grandson.

(First Lady Polk is pictured top right while First Lady Cleveland is pictured below right on her wedding day in the Blue Room) (Also of note is that Colonel Benjamin Cleaveland of Cleaveland (later renamed in 1887 - Cleveland) and President Cleveland are both related and descendants of progenitor Amos Cleveland of Boston, MA)

Proud US Navy Chefs pose with President & Mrs. Eisenhower.
Our museum tour is included (35-minute guided) with every stay...

Eggs figure into a lot of cookery and bakery - but the White House
Easter Egg Roll is fun with wooden eggs! Find out about the children
at the foot of the pyramids banging colored eggs around and how this
influenced Dolly Madison to start the idea here.

Different recipes and favorites of the Presidents and First Families
will be shown and talked about - with a few stories as well...
All of the famed White House Executive Chefs, like Marti's mentor
and boss - Walter Scheib, are featured and their books sold here.

Why 50 to 60 US Navy Chefs are at the White House will be
shared as will the dozen at Camp David.
See more at www.USNavyCooksandChefs.com

Five different letters from Presidents wishing thanks to Chef Marti
will be seen. Interesting artwork and menus from around the world
are shared when he cooked for the people of Asia and Europe
representing the cuisines of the USA. Chef Marti retired from
the US Navy after 21 years service to our country.