Dine like the Titanic’s first-class passengers the night before the ship went down
The Omni Mount Washington Resort is hosting an event called "The Last Dinner on the Titanic."
On April 8, special guests at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, will dine on asparagus salad with champagne-saffron vinaigrette, poached salmon with mousseline, and roasted squab (yes, squab) on wilted cress.
The menu was chosen thoughtfully and deliberately—it’s similar to what first-class passengers aboard the RMS Titanic ate on April 14, 1912, the night before the luxury cruise ship sank into the Atlantic Ocean, killing more than 1,500 people.
The meal, part of an event called “The Last Dinner on the Titanic,” incorporates 11 courses and costs $225.
“The Titanic menu was an event mirroring the opulence of the ocean liner,” said Gene Meoni, the Omni Mount Washington Resort’s director of food and beverage, in an email. “Our inspiration was to take a historical menu and to modernize the plate while remaining true to the cooking methods and richness of the time.”
The first few courses, which will include bites of pate de fois gras and oysters a la Russe, will be served as hors d’ouvres in the reception room, dubbed the Princess Room.
Once guests are seated for dinner, Executive Chef Jacky Francois will present each course and wine pairing. The staff chose French and German wines for the meal to reflect the popular tastes of the time, said Craig Clemmer, director of sales and marketing. As live musicians play in a connected room, the staff will talk about the famous passengers aboard the Titanic, the survivors, what food was served to second- and third-class passengers, and scenes from the 1997 Academy Award-winning James Cameron film. Guests can take a spin on the dance floor in between courses.
Dinner will be served in the resort’s elegant Ammonoosuc Room, which boasts 10-foot-tall doorways, a high ceiling, and an eye-catching crystal chandelier.
The chandelier, in place since before the Titanic took her ill-fated maiden voyage, was made by the same manufacturer that fashioned the chandeliers on board the Titanic, Clemmer said. In fact, the Bretton Woods Omni, which opened in 1902, has retained much of its early 20th century charm. Clemmer said that the hotel’s carpet patterns also remain, and its furnishings are similar to those a traveler would have sat on and used during the time of the Titanic.
Therefore, he said, this event is a chance for guests to experience the “Gilded Age feel of a grand hotel” while tasting the food served to the elite 105 years ago.
Reservations for dinner can be made by calling the Omni at 603-278-8989. The event begins at 6 p.m. Seating is limited to 30 people.
Executive Chef Jacky Francois holds the salmon dish underneath the chandelier.
The Menu
The first three courses will be served as hors d’ouvres. Wine and spirits are listed with each course.
Pates Fois Gras
Oysters a la Russe
Lamb chops with mint sauce
Smoked duck
Canapes a l’Amiral
Assorted fruits & cheese
Mumm Napa Cuvee M, NV; Joseph Drouhin Pouilly Fuisse, 2007; Chateau de La Chaize, Brouilly, 2011; Chateau de Marcard Bordeaux, 2012
First course:
Consomme Olga
Chateau Bonnet Bordeau, 2012
Second course:
Poached salmon with Mouseline
Chateau Bonnet Bordeau, 2012
Third course:
Filet Mignon Lili
Minted green pea timbale
Chateau potatoes
Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, 2011 or Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses, Clos de la Croix de Pierre, 2011
Fourth course:
Punch Romaine
Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, 2011 or Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses, Clos de la Croix de Pierre, 2011
Fifth course:
Roasted squab on wilted cress
Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, 2011 or Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses, Clos de la Croix de Pierre, 2011
Sixth course:
Asparagus salad with champagne-saffron vinaigrette
Schlink Haus Riesling Spatlese, 2012
Seventh course:
Waldorf Pudding
Peaches in chartreuse jelly
Chocolate painted eclairs with French vanilla ice cream
Mumm Napa Cuvee M, NV; port; sherry
Eighth course:
Guests will return to the reception room for coffee.
