Supper Club.

We recently went to a little supper club at a restaurant nearby.  We were surprised to discover this place about 40 minutes from our house.  Chain restaurants are really popular where we live, but we're hoping to see more places like this one.

Wine O'Clock is a small, well decorated space with an ever-changing menu.  They grow their own herbs in front of the restaurant and show old movies in the dining room. 

A lot of choices they offer are cooked in the wood-fire oven, such as gourmet pizza, roasted asparagus and delicious bread.  It's been a favorite date spot for a while, but recently they started offering a Supper Club option occasionally on Sunday nights.

It was a chance to eat a four course meal not typically offered on the menu. Pizza (pear and brie), truffled risotto, asparagus, beef tenderloin stuffed with Gorgonzola, and bread pudding-if you must know.  I don't think I've ever eaten that much food at one time in my life.  The food coma afterward was worth it! 

We started with appetizers on the front porch.

We then headed inside and all 30 of us dined family style.

We were seated right next to the open kitchen, and in front of the wood fire.  It was great to watch the chef do her thing.

It happened to be the owner's birthday that night and a member of the kitchen staff surprised her by singing a beautiful song in Spanish while we ate dessert.  It was unexpected and heartfelt.  I saw tears spring to people's eyes as her smoky voice filled the room.

I love this new idea of a more intimate dining experience.  If we ever open a restaurant I would love to offer this. While passing the food around the table, we got to know the others dining with us.  No one was rushing through their meal because there was no one waiting to be seated.  I'm still thinking about that asparagus.