On Sunday, November 9, Always Brewing Detroit, 19180 Grand River, will be transformed into a pop up restaurant that will serve a four course gourmet meal. Because a great meal needs more than just great food, original artwork, handcrafted jewelry, and carefully selected music will be on the menu as well. GRDC is thrilled to sponsor this dinner club pop up which is the vision of Matt Baldridge and Janna Coumoundouros, the chef and artist who are organizing the event.
Matt’s inspiration for a dinner club pop up came from his years of experience as a chef at fine dining restaurants. He noticed that while the food was great, fine dining often also served a portion of fuss and pretention. Matt wanted to create a dining experience where the emphasis was on the enjoyment of the food and the company rather than on ceremony. Much of the value of a great meal comes from the experience of it being shared with others. When Matt and Janna thought about where they could create this atmosphere of great community and great food, they thought of Grandmont Rosedale. While chances are pretty good that many of the diners on November 9 will know one another, there’s always the possibility of learning something about each other that we never knew before. A meal is a great opportunity to have a conversation that deepens a friendship. This is the emphasis of Matt and Janna’s event.
Matt has experience creating this sort of atmosphere. He hosted two dinner club pop ups at Revolver in Hamtramck, a venue where there is a different dinner club pop up each week. It was here that Matt had the wonderful experience of serving a meal to a group of people who began the meal “sitting next to strangers and left with friends.” It is this feeling of community that Matt is most looking forward to: “It’s so much fun to watch – the communal feeling and the roar of laughter and talking.” Like all good chefs, Matt is happiest when those who eat his food are happy, and at this dinner pop up, that means a communal, fun, delicious meal.
If you haven’t reserved your seats for Sunday, there’s still time. There will be two seatings of 25 – one at 5pm and the other at 7:30 at $45 per person. It’s going to be a great evening. All the ingredients for a great evening are included: wonderful food, beautiful artwork, interesting music and, of course, great company. Bring your own beer or wine. Matt and Janna are also looking for a location for a permanent spot in Grandmont Rosedale. Wherever that spot will be, what is certain is that the sense of whimsy and just plain fun will be a part of that restaurant. As Matt says, “If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it.”
You can reserve your seat and take a look at what Matt will be cooking at: http://lilacpop.wix.com/4coursesdinnerclub See you there!
