Well & Good Dinners: A Rapturous Recap of Volume III
I’ve always coveted photos of long table dinners. Kinfolk-y suppers with dim lighting, olive branches adorning communal tables and well-dressed people devouring gorgeous food. Basically a food blogger wet dream. Knowing this, you can imagine my excitement when Stacey Tuttle, co-owner of Well & Good Dinners, invited me to their Harvest Dinner.
Along with Allison Connors, the two Certified Holistic Nutritionists created their company to promote delicious healthy food, and do parties and private catering. But do not be fooled by the “healthy” title these gals carry —they know butter makes everything better, and the pavlova was definitely not low-fat. The Harvest Dinner is the third instalment in their series, with previous dinners at Mallard Cottage over the winter and Fixed Coffee & Baking in the spring.
I was a little early to the event hosted at the fabulous Grounds Cafe at Murray’s to get my camera equipment set up so the lights were bright. But then the candles were lit and the welcome cocktail served (bourbon with peach syrup, chai, cardamon and lemon). The kitchen magic started.
Well & Good Dinners, indeed
The menu was focused on Newfoundland produce, but not traditional by any means. Using ingredients like ghee and miso and upending techniques like making kimchi with local rhubarb the feast was inspired by international cuisine. Usually I’m wordy about food description, but at this lovely dinner, the food speaks for itself. I will say the place smelled freaking amazing.
Local matters with Well & Good Dinners
“It feels really good to only buy butter at the grocery store,” said Stacey, as she and Allison addressed the diners during the meal. Almost every ingredient on the menu is local. From the edible flower on the tartines to the blueberries on the pavlova, many items are foraged. Diners sit at communal tables, so getting to know your dining companion along with the local produce is also encouraged.
Carving a new niche for St. John’s
Stacey and Allison created a cozy dining experience I won’t soon forget. These women are creating more than just a dinner series, they are creating a community. A community of like-minded people who love to eat good food, but care about where it comes from. The $50 price tag is just icing on the cake. That’s right, seven amazing courses and a welcome cocktail for fifty bucks! There’s also wine and beer available for purchase, chosen specifically for the evening’s dishes. Let’s just say the 34 diners at Well & Good Dinners Volume III left happy.
What a beautiful place!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Neda, it was a great dinner and the location was perfect for a cozy harvest dinner!
Everything looks so colourful and delicious!
Thanks so much Tori! The foraged berries and flowers really add life to the dishes don’t they?
Gabby, great to hear about this – you’ve compiled a great photo essay as well. I love NL – for a while was even watching the CBC supper hour news from there! Last time I was in St John’s, Mallard Cottage was still on the planning board – though I did pop down to Quidi Vidi. The food scene continues to be exciting and I hope is adding to the tourism draw. Hope to meet you one day. Diane @kitchenblissca / FBC
Thanks so much Diane! It was an easy event to photograph, all the food was beautiful! You definitely need to come out here to NL, the food scene is amazing here now! Also, I see you will be at the conference in Ottawa and so will I, so we will get to meet VERY soon 🙂
And… love Kinfolk! though I buy it for my D.I.L. and then she passes them along to me 🙂
I’m drooling, and it isn’t even breakfast time here. What a fantastic experience and the food looks amazing!
The food was amazing!! Everything was so well thought out — even the foraged berries were smoked so they were savoury, so interesting!
Hi Gabby, I love harvest dinners, the long ttables of food,. and the colors and details in this one are absolutely beautiful. The place so suited a harvest meal, and the menu looked amazing. Thank you so much for sharing and giving us the opportunity to witness your wonderful meal!
Have a wonderful week end!
Loreto@SugarLoveSpices
Thanks so much! It was such a fun event to attend and I can’t wait for the winter dinner they plan on hosting!