Our Dining Club started four years ago and the blog originated as a way to share the memories with our girlfriends (yes, we are all Steve’s girlfriends and he loves being the only guy). What started out as a challenge has resulted in lasting friendships and the Dining Club is a great excuse for us to gather together.
We really had no intention of starting a Dining Club— it just evolved and we made up the rules as we went along.
To help you start your own Dining Club, here are some of the tips we learned along the way:
Decide how often your club will meet and be flexible!
The girlfriends met once a month for the longest time, but life got in the way. Laure and Yael have children and after school sports put a dent in our monthly dinners. So we simply adjusted to accommodate their schedule.
Choose a theme.
Before each meeting, we decide on a theme. It could be French, Italian or Mexican cuisine—or we could set the tone of the party with a particular holiday. For Christmas, we have a holiday cocktail party and we compete for who wears the highest heels. For Mardi Gras, we make gumbo & wear masks. For St. Patrick’s Day, we tried Irish soda bread and corned beef. We always do something different to keep it fresh and exciting.
Divide and conquer.
Whoever hosts the party will prepare the main dish. Once the theme is set, each member chooses an appetizer, first course, dessert or wine. That works well for our group, leaving everyone with something to contribute without overwhelming the host.
Our Dining Club is so much fun. Everyone I know that is involved with a Dining Club has a fascinating story for how it evolved. Each has its own rhythm that works for the participants, but they all revolve around getting together to enjoy each other and of course, the food.
Stay tuned as we continue to write about our new adventures and discuss other Dining Clubs. I look forward to sharing our stories with you!
Do you have your own Dining Club? Share your tips and stories in the comments below.
LOVE IT
This post inspired me to start our own dining club in VA Beach! We are starting in August! Can’t wait 🙂 thanks for the inspiration
I love it! Let me know about it and how you progress.
I love the idea of having a dining club with just girlfriends! Both of ours have been with couples. I’m trying to think of a theme for October 🙂
I like these ideas! Having a little dining club with a group of friends would be so much fun. I like the theme ideas.
No dining club here but it sure sounds like a lot of fun. You and every one else would definitely have to be flexible and love to cook!
What a cool idea. I really think Andrew and I would like this!
We don’t have an official dining club, but a friend does fun themes and cute menus when we are at her house. She is very creative. I would end up going to some extreme and painting the house, if the club was meeting at our house.
What a neat idea, I love this so much. Everyone looks happy and as if they are enjoying themselves. What a cute idea to create a dining club.
Thanks for the idea. This would be one cool way to get some relax time. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with our responsibilities at home and at work that we forget there is so much more to life than just trying to earn a living.
I would love to start a couples dining club. It would be a perfect way to make sure that friends get together. I need to really think about this one.
I would enjoy being a part of a dining club. I just gotta get up enough courage to start one.
I love the idea of starting a dining club. It’s a great way to spend time with beloved friends enjoying delicious cuisine.
Omg now this is something I would love to start!!! Dinner parties are my all time fav!!!!
I think this is such a great idea. I would love to start something like this in my neighborhood.