Great Gatherings offered at this year's spring party!
May 2015
Craft Beer Tasting! A chance to sample a bunch of tasty craft beers. Some will be from MN and some will be from around the country...beers that aren't available around here. If you're a novice, we'll expand your palette and make your life better. If you're a craft beer veteran, we'll include some things that will raise your eyebrows and make you go, "hmmm!"
Hosts: Kevin Dutcher and Libby Starling Date: Saturday, May 30, 2015. Time: 8 p.m. Spots allowed: 8. Cost per spot: $25. |
BANG Brewery! Come join us for a night out at one of St. Paul's newest breweries! Drink your beer in the tap room or, if the weather's right, we'll be drinking organic beer outside in the spring! BANG Brewery is located at 2320 Capp Road, St. Paul, MN 55114.
Growler Magazine's review: Bang Brewing Company’s cylindrical metal brewhouse and tap room stands out from the rectangular warehouses that dominate its neighborhood. While the facility of Bang Brewing Co. has been referred to as “grain-bin style,” it actually is a 30,000-bushel grain bin. Bang has three beers on tap. Neat, their first beer, is a single-hop pale ale featuring Summit hops. Minn is a mild, but not a traditional English mild—just milder than many other ales. Nice, which was an obvious follow-up to Minn, is a dark ale, but it doesn’t really fit into the Black IPA/Cascadian Dark category. Bang doesn’t yet have an entire wall of available styles, but as the owner Jay Febbo says, “People want more than three choices? Fine, mix ‘em.” Hosts: Melody Nelson and Jeff Cook and Julie Eddy and Thierry Boudet Date: Friday, May 29, 2015. Time: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Spots allowed: 16. Cost per spot: $25. |
June 2015
Café Gourmand! The French love desserts, and for those having difficulty choosing among the many tempting dessert options, the menu often includes the 'café gourmand,' which is an espresso served with tasting-sized portions of several desserts. We propose a drop-in event at which we will serve several French-inspired desserts and made to order espresso drinks (caf or decaf).
Hosts: James Gerber and Elisabeth Hilbink Date: Friday, June 5, 2015. Time: 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Spots allowed: 16 (adults)--bring your kids for free! Cost per spot: $15. |
Kegger Dads! Celebrate the end of school and kick off a glorious summer with Jucy Lucys and a local brew in a St. Paul backyard! Kindergarten Dad Charlie will grill big, grassfed beef burgers and serve some tasty sides (maybe even using eggs from the backyard coop) and dessert. There will also be bacon! Sorry moms, dads only for this one.
Host: Charlie Vander Aarde Date: Saturday, June 6, 2015. Time: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Spots allowed: 12. Cost per spot: $30. |
Lowered Expectations Gathering: An Evening of Food and Relaxed Activity! Come hang out in our backyard. Expect no pressure, no agenda, just a last day of school celebration! We may BBQ, we may order in pizza, we may sit-n-chat, or if the mood strikes, blow bubbles.
Hosts: Holly and Peter Windingstad Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2015. Time: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. or "til the cows come home". Spots allowed: 10. Cost per spot: $10. |
Homebrewing, BBQ, and beer sampling! Join Tony and Amanda Kutzke (parents to Madison, 2nd grade) for a day of homebrewing. You will be able to learn the whole process from Mashing in to Post Boil fermentation. We will be making 10 gallons of a beer style to be determined by attendants. Each attendee will be able to take home approximately 10 bottles, 3-4 weeks after the event. A typical brew day takes about 5 hours. Beer samples will be included, as well as a BBQ at the end of the event!
Hosts: Tony and Amanda Kutzke Date: Saturday, June 27, 2015. Time: 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Spots allowed: 10 adults (bring your children for free!). Cost per spot: $25. |
August 2015
Soiree Parisienne! Join me at Café Ephémère (aka my apartment) for a delectable evening of French music, food, and entertainment. Hors d'oevres and non alcoholic beverages will be served. You are invited to bring French alcoholic beverages to share as this event is BYOB. There may be some special French inspired performance art or fine artist guest appearances. Sign up only if you like Django Reinhart, Piaf, Brassens, MC Solaar, NTM, Mylène Farmer, etc...or if you don't have any idea who they are...you better sign up!!!
Host: Dana Bogema Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015. Time: 7 p.m.-midnight. Spots allowed: 8. Cost per spot: $20. |
September 2015
Hungarian Feast! Come join us in the backyard for some true
Hungarian gulyás cooked in a kettle over an open fire. We also will grill up some delicious homemade
Hungarian kolbasz. Bring a lawn chair
because once it starts to get dark, we’ll show Hungarian animated movies
(Kisvakond or Krtek)--projected on the garage!
Hosts: Hanna and Erik Brandt Date: TBD. Time: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Spots allowed: 14 (adults), but bring your kids for free! Cost per spot: $30. |
October 2015
Café Latte Dessert Sampler! What could be better than a Café Latte dessert? Multiple Café Latte desserts! Join us at our house behind Café Latte and sample a variety of their desserts. We will also serve cappuccino and Irish coffee.
Hosts: Becky Erickson and Dan Sullivan Date: October 9, 2015. Time: 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Spots allowed: 8. Cost per spot: $25. |
Pie Making! Join Heidi Huelster and her mother-in-law, Jean, (aka "The Pie Lady" of Afton, MN) for an evening of pie making! The ingredients will be provided, but you'll get all the bragging rights to the finished product...unless you eat the pie in the car on your way home! We're not making any promises either way.
Hosts: Heidi and Jean Huelster Date: TBD. Time: TBD. Spots allowed 3. Cost per spot: $30. |
November 2015
Homemade Pizza Gathering! We'll bake up a large collection of yummy pizzas, including vegetarian and our crazy spicy, sweet potato vegan one--you don't want to miss that even if you like cheese! Bring your children (free of charge), as our girls (3rd and 7th grade) are expecting that you will.
Hosts: Kent and Jeannine Cavender-Bares Date: November 7, 2015. Time: 6-9 p.m. Spots allowed: 10 (adults). Cost per spot: $25. |