If cooking is an act of love, then on March 28 there will be a whole lotta lovin’ going on throughout the Lower Mainland. Created by Annika Reinhardt, founder of Social Bites, and Crystal Henrickson, #DinnerpartyYVR allows home cooks to show off their culinary skills while supporting their charity of choice. All of the proceeds go directly to charity, with beverages donated by Serendipity Winery and Howe Sound Brewing, and $100 gift cards from Whole Foods donated to each chef to help with their food costs (Whole Foods is also donating the desserts for the after-party).
The dinners all take place in the chefs’ homes and include gluten-free, vegetarian, lactose-free and even pescetarian dinners. Most cooks are offering four to eight spots at their table. The ethnic diversity of the cuisines being cooked up is equally wide-ranging, spanning Greek, Persian, Spanish, French, Russian, Malaysian, Mexican, Moroccan, Indian, Lebanese, West Coast, and barbecue, among others.
How to take part? Visit the website, where you can browse through each chef’s detailed menu and book seats based on availability (some dinners have already sold out). All dinners take place between 6pm and 8pm and are a minimum $40 per seat. Each ticket includes one glass of Serendipity Wine or Howe Sound beer, and entrance to the after-party at the Meccanica presentation centre, with live entertainment, cash bar, and desserts offered by donation. Registering for a dinner also enters you into a draw to win a seat at presenting partner Cressey’s dinner party prepared by chef Clement Chan of Le Tigre and 12-year-old Liam Lewis, a #dinnerpartyYVR veteran and its youngest-ever hobby chef.
Now in its third year, the event has more than doubled in size since its inception, with more than 50 hobby chefs participating. To date, #dinnerpartyYVR has raised more than $15,000 for local charities and this year, organizers expect to double that amount. Find out more at DinnerPartyYVR.com.
