2.13 - Menu

White House Lock-In Menu

Drinks:

Coffee would be one drink served at the overnight meeting as it would be an essential beverage for the attendees to stay awake and alert throughout the night while thinking of solutions to the Crisis. Characters in the movie are seen constantly drinking cups of coffee throughout the day and night to help keep them vigilant.

Whiskey would be another drink served at the lock-in, as it would help reduce some of the stress and anxiety that would be running rampant in everyone in the meeting. Kenny O'Donnell, one of the main characters in the movie, is seen pouring and drinking a glass of whiskey to show the level of duress him and all the other government leaders are under.

Snacks:

Candy will be available as a snack at the meeting, because it is a quick way to get some sugar and energy without taking the time to eat a full meal. A bowl of candy is shown in one of the White House offices in the film, as Kenny walks by and takes some on his way to see the president. 

Appetizers:

New England Clam Chowder will be the appetizer of choice, as it was one of John F. Kennedy's favorite meals. One reason he liked this dish is because he was a Massachusetts native, born in Brookline very near Boston. It is also thought that he liked soups like this chowder so much because he wasn't a very big eater, and so small meals of this sort fancied him more than larger, more-filling dishes.

"Nuclear" Hot Wings will be another appetizer served at the lock-in, as its name represents the nuclear missiles that were being constructed in Cuba. Also, the hot and spicy aspect could represent the flaring tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during this time.  

Cheese fondue will be the final appetizer on the menu, as it was a very popular American cuisine during the 1960's. The blending and melting together of the cheeses could also represent the attempts to make peace and strike a deal at the end of the Crisis, liquifying any tension between the United States and Soviet Union.

Main Courses:

Cuban Sandwiches will be served as one of the main courses due to their namesake, Cuba, and the importance of that country in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The sandwiches are also made up of a large variety of ingredients, which could represent the many layers of events and decisions that led up to the brink of nuclear war. 

A Pig Roast will serve as the primary dish for the lock-in because of the failed military invasion of Cuba, known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. The roasted dead pig could serve as a representation of how the mission was a failure, but at the same time the delicious meal that it makes could represent how things worked out in the end and people get to enjoy the outcome (temporary world peace). Also, roasted pig is a very popular dish in Cuba, and is known as Lechon Asado. 

Deserts:

Bird's Milk Cake will be the dessert for the lock-in, as it is a traditional Russian dish known as Ptichye Moloko. A Soviet dessert could also represent the U.S.S.R. agreeing to work with the U.S. to end the Crisis by offering a "sweet" deal with good intentions.