Past Presidents Night is a formal affair. Members and male guests are encouraged to wear tuxes, and the wives and female guests wear gowns. Typically, most of the fare comes from the Escoffier Cookbook and is served on glass or silverplate to evoke an early Twentieth Century feel that complements the house nicely.
Rule #1: We treat our guests with respect: we set out the finest fare we can produce or procure, going local whenever possible and avoiding things that come from factories and warehouses when there is any alternative.
Rule #2: We serve our guests with respect, on glassware and sliverplate, with real plates and real forks and real glasses. We can't expect a member to rent a tux and then serve him on a paper plate.
Rule #3: We delight our guests with novelty and tradition. We set out food and drink that members may never have seen before, but may have heard of, and the servers can explain what we serve. We respect tradition with old favorites, prepared with skill and the finest ingredients.
On some years we have accented the event with a US Presidents theme because the event was held on Presidents Day weekend (one of them during an election year). Those years showcased favorite foods of various presidents, or delicacies from the home states of presidents, etc. The first four annual galas were held in early January as a Twelfthnight Party, with an end-of-Christmas theme. Last year we showcased local fare and included a firkin of dry-hopped Pale Ale from our local Mayflower Brewing.
This year I want to explore New England specialties. We'll see what we come up with - stay tuned!