A few weeks ago I attended a private invite-only dinner in the heart of Chinatown (Manhattan, NYC). I normally would not blog about this but it was different. The dinner was inclusive, it was classy, it was fun, and it was one of the most unique dining experiences I've had in a while.
Before I get into what I ate, I'll explain how this came about. Back in April, I purchased tickets to an annual conference in Brooklyn called The Food Writers' Workshop (thanks to EatWithNia ) and it inspired me for many reasons. I got to hang around (and learn from) other incredible black foodies (AvaEats, DomNTheCity, Jillian) along with getting insight from different panelists. I really enjoyed the conference and all of the discussions on what it takes for a woman to become and maintain success in the food industry.
It was an absolute pleasure to see so many black women on panels talking about breaking barriers in the food world digitally and in real life.
While at the conference, I was introduced to a collective called the Black Food Folks. Shortly after learning about them, I proceeded to stalk their social media pages (as anyone else would do) and I came across another group. A creative group called ToBeHosted. This group throws monthly private dinners for black and brown creatives. I swiftly followed this group on social media and was delightfully intrigued when I saw an Instagram post announcing the "May Dinner". I immediately applied for an invite to attend and a few days later I was able to get a seat at the table.
The idea behind the monthly dinner is simple. You are seated next to strangers (intentionally), and all you have to do is pay a reasonable fee, come hungry, come open-minded and come ready to meet new people. I love this idea, and since food is known to bring people together it makes networking easier. I was luckily seated next to Chef B. Woods who I'm looking forward to collaborating with in the near future. Someone who I would have not met if it wasn't for this dinner.
Now on to the chef of the evening. The dinner was curated by a phenomenal woman named Chef Day. If you are not following XoChefDay on Instagram you should start today. She's talented, beautiful and is someone who is taking the food industry by storm with her recipes.
Before we all dived in, Chef Day excitedly explained the inspiration for all of the dishes, the ingredients, she even adjusted her recipes for those who have dietary restrictions, and spoke to every single one of us who dined that evening. It was magical.
The dinner theme was Breakfast After Dark. Chef Day's menu included sweet and savory options. I honestly enjoyed every single item on the menu but the pancakes were simply divine. Here’s a look at the menu items:
SWEET
STRAWBERRY FIELDS: sweet, wild, white strawberries mixed with red currants blueberries peaches and spearmint. This was so delightful and I cannot recall a time I ate a white strawberry.
FLUFFY STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PANCAKES: buttermilk pancakes caramelized rhubarb Haitian rum cream topped with strawberries.
SAVORY
PEPPERED SHRIMP & GRITS (TO THE LEFT) , DUCK HASH (BELOW) , ARUGULA SALAD (BELOW DUCK HASH)
WINE
RIGHT NOW WINE : Alpine Stream White Wine, Rosé, Red Number 6
I had a blast and I'm still hyped from that night. Everything was so delightful. So delicious and I'm definitely looking forward to attending another dinner or two because I felt so comfortable, so at home, and just so welcomed.
Comment below if you've attended a dinner like this before. Let me know if there are others I should attend.