People's District

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

“I’ve been in D.C. for over three years. I’m originally from Lowell, Massachusetts. I can remember when I was young and I tried and botched some gelatin dessert that my parents ate, grinning through their teeth. I really got interested in food after college when I was living in New York. I didn’t know a ton of people and my Dad had just died, and I found cooking really comforting.

“My roommate and I decided to start a supper club in D.C. called Sunday Dinner. We picked the name because Sunday is a day that you normally spend with your family, eating a nice relaxed meal and enjoying being around the people that you love. We liked that name because we thought it would invoke the idea of togetherness and relaxing over a nice meal. Here, the veil between restaurant owner and customer is much thinner as the event is in my home. I enjoy bringing people here and sharing a piece of myself with them. It is so much more satisfying cooking some big elaborate seasonal dish and sharing it with people as opposed to having it just sit in my fridge. There is also a comfort level that is really unique with a supper club. I think that there are a lot of other supper clubs in the works in D.C., as they are big now in New York and San Francisco. I read about it quite extensively before I launched ours.

“Every few months, we host a dinner party where my roommate and I will develop a five-course menu and we invite our close foodie friends to come and enjoy it with us. Sunday Dinner gives us an opportunity to really test our skills in a way that goes beyond cooking to presentation and developing menus. Yes, we have mismatched dishes and glasses, but that adds to the fun of it. It is a beautiful, seasonal meal in a relaxed and fun setting. I mean, who doesn’t like to eat good food? And I love the concept of the education of food. I try to have a story behind where these foods are coming from and why we picked them. These are things that I think are important to bring into a dinner party.

“D.C. is the kind of place where we are a little behind the time in terms of new and interesting things, but I think the city is a great place to do it. You are going to find a good group of people here who are doing interesting, diverse thing. The people who come are foodies, but from all different worlds. I have met the most incredible people and learned amazing things about the people I know. Some friends have helped me by baking bread or mixing drinks. These people have amazing talents that I never would have known if I hadn’t started Sunday Dinner.”

Read more about supper clubs here. Learn more about local foods to our area in Flavor Magazine.