6 Themes and Ideas to Help You Plan a Dining Club in 2023
|Move over, book club. The dining club is there and it’s better.
I’m mostly kidding. Reading feeds our souls, but our friends too, so why not make 2023 the year of the dinner club with friends, each “meeting” having a theme, where you take turns hosting? My group of friends have been talking about starting such a thing for ages, and 2023 will be the year if our enthusiastic New Year’s chat is any indication.
The thing is, there are so many possibilities for a dining club, so how do you decide which route to take? If you also like the idea of creating a regular ritual between friends at the table, here are some possibilities that I and/or my friends have thought about; May you find lots of inspiration for your own restaurant club!
But first, some general guidelines. There’s no need to convene a full planning session here, but again, a group text might go a bit haywire. You do, however.
The starting decision should probably be how often you meet. Make it too ambitious and it can quickly burn out when people feel overwhelmed. Too infrequent and it may fizzle before it starts. We always discuss a schedule every six weeks, more or less, but your schedules will dictate that, of course. Also consider whether weeknights or weekends are better.
You can likeHow a Louisville-based non-alcoholic alternative is revamping the cocktail scene
Once you’ve worked out those details, go ahead and mark those dates on your calendars for the year. Yes, commitment is vital to your happiness and maybe even your health, so make dates a priority.
So what is the hosting format? Does a household host and do everything when it is their turn? Or do they host and maybe provide a main course, but everyone contributes a dish, drink or side? It is entirely up to you!
Be sure to consider your friends’ dietary restrictions. It may take a Venn diagram, but I cooked a dinner that was a treat for the paleo and vegans at the table, so I promise you it can be done!
Now for the fun part. What is your food club theme for the year? Here are six suggestions:
How to Organize a Food Club Around Specific Cookbooks
This is the angle towards which my group leans. You can take a few directions with this. Either everyone agrees on a single cookbook, or each household chooses one. The idea is that this is a book you would really like to immerse yourself in. Each dinner will feature a menu taken from this book. It could be a really fun way to explore a new cuisine or technique, and maybe find some new favorite dishes.
And let’s be honest: it can help transform that shiny new cookbook you’ve been wanting, from pretty pictures on a page to beautiful dishes on your plate. For inspiration, head to Carmichael’s Bookstore, or the beautifully curated book selection at Breeze Wine Bar & Bottleshop, 1001 Logan St. inside Logan Street Market. Or think even more locally and choose a book by a Kentucky author (“Victuals: An Appalachian Journey” by former Courier Journal food writer Ronni Lundy would be a good place to start!).
You can like:Pho in Louisville: Vietnamese restaurant Eatz creates a new home in Clifton
Organize your gastronomic club around international cuisine, travel
Here’s one that’s close to my heart: Go around the world with the cuisine of a different country or region at every dinner.
If you’ve never spent the time making that labor-intensive Indian curry or Yucatan mole you’ve been craving, or want to do it all with a Nordic feast, now’s your chance. Bonus points if you use it as a chance to explore the thriving international market scene in Louisville. And you can make it a real cultural dive by creating a playlist of music from the region and getting yourself some drinks to go with it. Nerds like me will even want to style the dining room with accents that match the party’s theme.
You can like:Do you miss traveling? 5 Ways to Eat Around the World on Louisville’s Food Scene
Use recipes from Louisville restaurants for your food club
Why not bring home the dishes from your favorite local restaurant? My on-and-off series where chefs show how to make some beloved local dishes in home kitchens might be a place to start (I’m looking at you Dallas McGarity gnocchi), but we all have our own favorites. If you’re a restaurant regular and think the chef is up for sharing some tips on your favorite dish, ask!
My dream would be to do Brian Morgan’s debut menu lamb at Eiderdown, but the sky is seriously the limit. (Note: Email me at [email protected] if you have a request you’d like to see me share in this column!)
You can like:‘You just have to get up every day and fight one more round’: Barry’s Cheesesteaks finds a new home
Use food from your favorite Louisville store or Farmer’s Market
What if you each choose a preferred supplier and build your menu around their offerings? This might be your favorite farmer’s market. Or it’s a full meal created from treats at Lotsa Pasta, 3717 Lexington Road, one of Paul’s Fruit Market locations, or Red Hog Restaurant and Butcher Shop, 2622 Frankfort Ave., and Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe, 2868 Frankfurt Ave.
Plan your food club around certain wine, bourbon or non-alcoholic pairings
One of the most fun dining experiences I’ve had was pairing comfort food with wines inspired by Louisville native Vanessa Price’s book, “Big Macs and Burgundy: Wine Parings for the Real World.”
New Bar & Bottle, 214 S. Clay St., held a fabulous pairing event with Price last winter, but it’s easy to do at home. Take his book with you to Old Towne Liquors, 1529 Bardstown Road, or your favorite wine shop, and design your ultimate wine and food pairing evening. Or make a bourbon pairing with suggestions of “Which fork should I use with my bourbon?” by Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigleror let the folks at The Breeze give you some suggestions with non-alcoholic beverages.
You can like:New name, new location: This East End brewery is changing its name and moving to Old Louisville
A Food Club Classic: Dinner and a Movie
How about a classic? Bring food from your favorite movie to life with a movie-inspired menu. Do you also love Stanley Tucci’s “Big Night”? Go with a timpani with the movie, or at least the soundtrack, playing in the background.
Do you feel French? Go straight to the Queen herself and cook from ‘Julie & Julia’ or the more recent HBO series ‘Julia’.
And hey, if you want to make that cheeseburger from Searchlight’s “Menu” (minus that killer dessert!), please invite me.
Tell it to Dana! Send your restaurant “dish” to Dana McMahan at [email protected] and follow @bourbonbarbarella on Instagram.