Asheville's James Beard Award-nominated chef to present state dinner at White House

ASHEVILLE - An Asheville restaurateur has accepted the invitation to present a feast in a celebration of a century-long allyship between the U.S. and Australia.

On Oct. 25, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host the Australia State Dinner at the White House for international and American guests.

Chef Katie Button, co-founder of the James Beard Award-winning Spanish tapas restaurant, Cúrate, received a special invitation to prepare the meal in honor of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Gov. Roy Cooper is scheduled to attend the state dinner.

On Oct. 24, Button stood beside the first lady at the White House during a livestream preview of the event hosted for the media and provided details about the curated menu.

“Nurturing our partnerships and relationships with our allies is critically important, especially in these tumultuous times,” Jill Biden said. “Food is comforting, reassuring, and healing and we hope that this dinner provides a little of that, as well.”

Button worked in collaboration with Biden to curate the menu that features seasonal ingredients to reflect the fall harvest and the U.S. by way of Southern Appalachia.

“I was inspired to bring together the vibrant Australian spring and crisp American autumn as the seasons ripple across our great painted landscapes,” Biden said.

Button is part of a woman-led chef team with White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison.

“The invitation to work with first lady Jill Biden on this menu has been an incredible honor and true privilege,” said Button, a four-time James Beard Award-nominated chef. “We wanted to welcome the guests from Australia with the warmth and bounty of fall in the United States."

“I’m from Asheville, North Carolina, tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of Southern Appalachia, a region that is rich in farming and food culture. My background is in science ― I’m a master’s in biomedical engineering-turned-chef. Now I study how care and passion of producers lends to high quality and better ingredients, and seasonality is an essential part of taste,” Button said.

The state dinner menu begins with a butternut squash soup and roasted beet salad with farrow, cooked in apple cider and sorghum.

The second course will be sarsaparilla-braised short ribs. Button said the “licorice herbaceous floral quality” pairs well with “tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs.”

Dessert will be hazelnut and chocolate mousse cake that she said will be a “perfectly delicious end to the meal and a festive entry to the upcoming holiday season.”

In 2022, Cúrate, at 13 Biltmore Ave., won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality.

Other entities of Katie Button Restaurants include the Spanish restaurant, wine bar, market and bakery, La Bodega by Cúrate, as well as Cúrate Trips, Cúrate Wine Club and Cúrate at Home.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Chef Katie Button, of Cúrate, to cook state dinner at the White House