How to Form a Dinner Club

Dinner clubs focus around fabulous food and people who like to share it. They can be extremely fun and entertaining, and an event you will look forward to. Some of my fondest memories of food and friends come from dinner parties and the dinner club we formed in DC. Evenings were filled with exceptional food, delicious wines, and interesting conversation. What is the most challenging part of organizing a dinner club? It's not the cooking or the cleaning up afterwards; it is coordinating everyone's schedule to get together.

I think the key to forming a successful dinner club is communication. Nothing should be left to assumption. Every member should be actively involved in one way or another, and everyone should have a clear understanding and similar expectations. There are no rules when it comes to forming dinner clubs, but the more organized things are, the more enjoyable the experience is for everyone.

Here are a few pointers I can share:

1. Decide on the type of experience you want to have and find like-minded people who will want to share in an on-going experience. For example, pressure shouldn't be put on people that prefer casual potluck dinners to serve a gourmet 3-course meal.

2. Decide on the number of people. Is it going to be a potluck, family-style, or served courses? If you choose to serve courses, keep it small (6-8 maximum). The more elaborate the evening, the smaller the number should be. Less people equals less stress and the night will be easier to handle. For casual parties, based around potluck and family-style dinners, the numbers can easily be bigger. Confirm with the members, in advance, if you'd like to bring along additional guests.

3. Decide how often the group will meet.

4. Decide on who will be cooking and where the party will be hosted. Discuss themes (Italian, Asian, Mexican, etc.). Themes are easy to coordinate around and can be a lot of fun.

5. Openly discuss the cost. If one member intends to serve lobster and the other mac and cheese, people are bound to feel uncomfortable. Set limits or divide up the cost evenly each time. If you are involved with a like-minded group, these things won't be an issue.

6. Decide on matching beverages from apéritifs to beer, wine, and dessert wine. Discuss how the cost will be divided. Nobody should be stuck with the majority of the bill.

7. Add special touches by decorating the table. It doesn't have to be extravagant, but little add-ons make the evening that much nicer. Play music that matches your theme. Have board or card games on hand.

8. Discuss at each dinner where the group can improve for the next celebration, such as how to make things easier for the next time around or how to better modify the structure. Perhaps you will want to try different rounds that include gourmet meals, then a potluck, etc.

When I think back to our DC Dinner Club, we had a small and incredible group of multi-cultural people. We would try to meet once every two months and would rotate houses. The host for the evening would prepare the entire dinner from appetizer to dessert. Everyone brought a unique beer to start with and wine to match. It worked out really well. We all loved food, and it just so happened that each couple contained one person that loved to cook, and didn't mind spending hours in the kitchen preparing something special. It was a lot of work for the hosts, but it was always worth it and we all appreciated it.

Are you part of a dinner club? What has made your club a success? What were some of the challenges?

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