How To Start A Supper Club

How it all started...

Some girlfriends and I were lamenting that we don't get to see enough of each other, and we wondered how to set our schedules to rectify that.  We all enjoy good food and good company.  So, we decided to form a Supper Club and include our husbands, and we chose to meet on Friday nights.

It took a bit of wrangling over how best to organize the group, and over a year's time, we honed the rules and procedures for meeting.  Here's what we came up with:

*we meet the 1st Friday night every other month, beginning in February

*we will have 6 couples (12 people total) - and each couple has a turn at "hosting" the dinner once per year.  (While this number sounds a bit daunting for some people, we knew that the odds of all 12 people being free to attend each and every get-together throughout the year was unlikely.  So with 12 people, even if 1 or 2 couples had conflicts, we would still have enough for a fun evening.  Also, no one HAS to have a dining room table to seat 12 people!  We sit outdoors if it's nice out or we set up 2 tables or just grab a seat wherever we want to!).

*the host decides the menu for the evening, and the host then is in charge of relaying the pertinent information to the rest of the group prior to their dinner such as: time to arrive, what they need the others to bring (appetizers, salads, desserts, wine, whatever).

*the host also decides the decor and/or theme of the evening - whether it's super casual or more formal and sit-down, inside or outside etc.

*the months will rotate each year, so that the no one has to host the same time of year---keeps it interesting.

*We also noted whether or not anyone has any dietary restrictions (one member has an allergy to shellfish) or strong dislikes (one member dislikes tomatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms).  So, while we may serve foods with those items, we're going to try and offer an alternative dish as well.

I've decided to create a blog, so that I can share the foods and themes and recipes and fun that we share each get-together.  So looking forward to enjoying some great meals and great times with friends!

Here's to YOUR adventures in dining!!! Bon Appetit!!!

Some ideas for "themes" for Supper Club get-togethers (I've starred some of the "themes" that we have used):

*Oktoberfest
Cuban
Fondue Party
St. Patrick’s Day
*Tailgate Foods
French
Tapas
*Italian
Greek (toga party anyone?)
1920’s Speakeasy
Low Country Boil
*New Orleans/Cajun/Mardi Gras
Thai
Deep South Dinner
Last Meal on the Titanic
Napa Wine Tour
Russian
Mexican
Back to Your 1980’s Prom
Pub Foods
50's throwback
Japanese
*Big Texas Barbecue
Pajama Party
*Caribbean 

Redneck

*Halloween 
*Hawaiian Luau

Madmen (or other TV themed)
Movie Night

*Christmas (12/14)

You could even do a Aphrodisiac Foods Night in February around *Valentine's Day (2/5/16)
April Fool's Day
Progressive Dinner for each supper club home
brunch & bloody mary bar - brunch recipes and everyone contributes some of their favorite bloody mary ingredientsSliders, skewers & salads - good summer patio theme
States - dishes that specific states are famous for--- during election seasonNumbers - tres leches cake, pork with chinese 5-spice marinade, 7 layer dip. the trip to the liquor store for this theme is really fun
Food inspired by music - string cheese stuffed meatloaf, phish ceviche, hersey's kiss cake, red hot chili pepper quesidillas, 30,000 pounds of bananas foster. this one was lots of fun and of course had a commemorative cd for everyone
Cooking with booze - actually as an ingredient
Back to school - redo a school lunch dish into something tasty

Here's a link to a huge list of party "themes" -
http://thevivant.com/101-theme-party-ideas/

HAPPY EATING AND ENTERTAINING!