Governor's Dinner Guest List with Chinese Vice President

Who's Coming to Dinner: Politicians, family members and big company higher-ups make up most of the list of dinner guests for the state dinner Iowa Governor Terry Branstad threw for Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping last Wednesday. I had requested a copy of the list last week. Today, I received it. It shows an official count of 552 people for the dinner in the statehouse rotunda.

Guests included: the governor's family, former Governor Bob and Billie Ray, 2 Iowa Board of Regents, lawmakers (not their spouses), and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (not his wife). The list also included business leaders who represent the Who's Who of big business: Vermeer, Cargill, John Deere, Pioneer, Musco Lighting, the Principal Financial Group and Winnebago.

Here's the full list.

Menu for Vice President Xi

Soup's On: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad let out a few of the details earlier this week, but this morning his staff released the full menu for the state dinner tonight at the Iowa Statehouse with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. The menu is all Iowa. It includes bacon, corn and beans, of course. 650 people on the invite list, according to the gov's office. That includes state lawmakers, Iowa business and community leaders and Xi's 160-person delegation.

“A Taste of Iowa Menu”
Wednesday February 15th, 2012

Passed Canapes
B.L.T. Bites (Bacon, Lettuce $ Tomato)
&
Smoked Trout w/Midwest Cranberry Compote

1st Course
Edamame & Corn Salad
Carrot~Ginger Terrine, La Quercia Prosciutto Rosette &
South Union Bread

Main Course
Medallions of Eden Farms Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin w/Cider & Green Peppercorns & Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin w/Demi Glaze & Onion Ring Maytag White Cheddar Stuffed Twice Baked New Potatoes
Curried Butternut Squash Sauté

Dessert
Crème Apple Pie Cupcake w/ Iowa Maple Syrup Frosting
Maytag Blue Cheese w/ Iowa Honey drizzle
Mini Iowa Sweet Corn Cheesecake

Gong Fu China Green Tea


Pre Dinner Beverages - Peace Tree Brewery Root Beer, Jasper Winery Behind the Shed Red & La Crescent wines , Madhouse Brewery Pale Ale Beer
Wines with Dinner Summerset Frontenac Red & Vignoles White


We would like to thank the Iowa Pork Producers, Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Corn Producers and in addition Crème Cupcakes, Eden Farms Pork, La Quercia Prosciutto, Loffredo Produce, Maytag Dairy & Gong Fu Tea