Well, it's not the State Dinner (that comes later this evening), but there was plenty of star power and fine dining at a lunch at Foggy Bottom for visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao.

The lunch got going quite late - after 2pm - thanks perhaps to that pesky problem with simultaneous translation that turned President Obama's press conference with Hu into a 1 hour, 8 minute affair.

A tasty lunch, nonetheless. The menu, according to the State Department (no, we weren't invited): 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Timbale of Pear and Sunchoke, Sage Toasts, followed by ...  Fillet of Alaskan Cod, Horseradish Dijon Crème Fraiche, Lemon-Scented Rice and Winter Vegetable Medley, finished off with ... Gilded Chocolate and Plum Delight, Balsamic Ice Cream.

Among the invitees were figure skater Michelle Kwan, author Amy Tan, designer Vera Wang, first CHinese-American NFL player Ed Wang, along with Barbara Streisand and former secretaries of state Colin Powell, George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright. After dessert was served, cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed.