Dine Like a Patriot

The July 4th fireworks bursting high in the night sky are the most recognizable signature celebration of America’s Independence. This year is special - the United States turns 250 years old on July 4, 2026! But there is another classic tradition that celebrates the United States turning 250, and that is food!

Going back to the troubling times of 1776, food was needed to feed families, neighbors, and farm workers, and was often served family style around wooden tables using seasonal ingredients usually boiled or stewed over hearths using large cast-iron pots.

“Dine like a Patriot” themed dinner is a popular and modern way to celebrate the 250th birthday through meals that reflect the country’s history and culture. The idea is to cook colonial style recipes paired with a brief history lesson about the Founding Fathers and other lesser-known characters from the Revolutionary War.

On May 16, 2026, at a private “Dine Like a Patriot” celebration on Marco, the guests stepped back in time to 1776 and were greeted by “Willington Makefree” in colonial attire. According to “Willington Makefree,” local chef and historian, “it’s good food and drink combined with entertaining stories about colonial America.” He shared that they combed through a number of historical cookbooks looking for different recipes and tried to show people that many of these recipes can be easily made today and they are quite delicious.

The dinner menu for Dine like a Patriot featured a “signature” cocktail, and Makefree explained that this was Martha Washington’s Rum Punch. That this is actually THEE recipe that was handed down to Martha by her mother and served often at Mount Vernon and in the capital cities while Washington was President. This is THEE drink that George and Martha drank as well as Hamilton, Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

• First course was pumpkin soup along with an explanation of the importance pumpkin played in colonial life.
• Second course was salmon with oyster sauce and Thomas Jefferson's actual recipe for macaroni and cheese, along with a brief narrative on how Jefferson practically introduced mac and cheese to the colonies.
• Third course was a "forced beef tenderloin with red wine reduction," a meal that was served at Mount Vernon.
• Dessert was Lafayette’s French Silk Chocolate Pie, along with Strawberry Rose Rosé over Strawberries in Syrup called "Syllabub.” Think strawberries with cream but also containing a splash of rose wine and rose water.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello served Strawberry Syllabub which was a favorite at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. It was served in special syllabub glasses at fashionable gatherings throughout the 1700s. This recipe was recreated featuring fresh macerated strawberries, Rosé wine, delicate rose water – a recipe that delighted the Founding Fathers and their guests.

It was an immersive dinner experience and food was served on dinnerware that mimicked the style of the colonial period. According to Makefree, “the most fun about all of these dishes is that they are the actual recipes and types of food that our founding fathers ate and would have eaten! And we take very little artistic license with the history.”

Violinist Jeff Leigh provided the background music with classical selections from Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, and Beethoven. According to historians, Thomas Jefferson admired the works of prominent composers such as Hayden and himself played the violin and was known to enjoy performances with friends.

Revolutionary Meals was started two years ago by Angie and her husband, Mike Murawski, as both enjoy cooking and love America and American History. In fact, when they got married, they had an American/Hamilton-inspired wedding. Chef and historian Willington Makefree is Mike Murawski’s social media colonial persona.

When not preparing Revolutionary Meals, both Angie and Mike are very busy. Angie is the manager of Donor Experience with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and Mike is the Executive Director of the Commission of Ethics and Governmental Integrity for the City of Naples.

You may check out episodes of Revolutionary Meals on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and X with the idea of cooking colonial style recipes along with a little history lesson.