Greetings Young Professionals,
I have been LOVING the sense of community in Napa lately, and I believe there is one trend in particular that we have to thank. Dinner parties have always been, and always will be, fun and an easy way to spend quality time with friends. However, the hot Supper Club trend is bringing a whole new attitude to dinner parties.
This new trend is intended to make dinner parties more of an event, versus a casual get-together. Supper clubs take on the more-is-merrier mentality, where friends are encouraged to invite new friends or kind strangers. Supper clubs usually have a theme, set menu, and a signature drink.
A few of these clubs have started in the Napa area, and I was fortunate to sit down with Madison Gabor, of Stoop Supper Club, to learn more about the Supper Club trend and understand why it is so popular.
YPNV: “What is the difference between a dinner party and a supper club?”
MG: “A dinner party is just like you having your close friends around… it’s intimate and I think they’re really special in a lot of ways. I think a supper club is intended to bring like-minded individuals together, and it is more of a curated event.”
YPNV: “In my mind, I feel like I’ve seen a lot of dinner parties where it is one person hosting ongoing dinners with the same group of friends, and while it might change houses here and there, it is always kind of the same. Supper clubs are intentional-“
MG: “Yes! It’s intended to open the space to others. They’re two different beasts. One is your neighborhood and close group of friends. The other is intentionally trying to build and grow the community.”
YPNV: “What are your thoughts on the new Supper Club trend?”
MG: “I think anything that has people coming together is a good thing, and I think this is such an authentic way for people to sit down and have real conversations. I think supper clubs are the perfect thing to bring people together.”
YPNV: “What inspired you to start Stoop Supper Club?”
MG: “I’ve always loved the idea of people coming into my home and I’ve always wanted to have a group of friends I can have dinner with, where there is a custom cocktail and have people feel taken care of. It originated from dinner parties and having them often, and wanting to continue and grow that. I started Stoop Supper Club because it felt like the right time, and I felt like there was this big community in front of us that was spread out, and for the first time, I wanted to bridge the gap. Maybe there is something that can be a common thread in all of us, and it might be found over dinner.”
YPNV: “How did you meet Brooke and Barbora from SSC?”
MG: “I met Brooke in culinary school at CIA. We became friends over Sancerre and oysters, after orientation day. From there, we were always together and loved cooking together. We loved hosting dinner parties, but it wasn’t until Barbora came into the picture- Brooke and I are chaotically cohesive and we needed structure- Barbora was exactly what we needed. I met her at a lamb party at Brooke’s house, and we immediately bonded over some cool Slovakian wine, and that was that. We instantly became friends and it wasn’t until a couple months later that the three of us got together and realized what this could be.”
YPNV: “I am going to need more information about this lamb party later.”
YPNV: “What comes first for you- the menu or the table setting?”
MG: “I think it’s for sure the table setting. I think of what it will look like and what kind of cocktails we can make. For Brooke, the wine is number one. She won’t even touch the menu until she knows what kind of wines we will have. With Barbora, she wants to do the menu first. We all have different priorities. As silly as it sounds, for me, I think the culture, space, and place are very important for what Stoop stands for.”
YPNV: “What is your favorite part about hosting Stoop Supper Club?”
MG: “It’s when everyone arrives and no one knows each other, and everyone is awkward and kind of quiet. We’re in the kitchen doing our thing, listening throughout the evening. Then, my favorite part is at the very end of the night, everyone is getting each other’s numbers or cheers-ing, or don’t want to leave because they’re having such a good time. It’s sort of magical having a dinner party where most people don’t know each other and later they can say they met at Stoop.”
YPNV: “I have to say, Stoop is a part of my normal slang now. When I talk to people, I always say ‘Oh yeah, I met that person at Stoop’, or ‘Yeah, we all do this Stoop thing’. I talk about it all the time and hear about Stoop all the time. Like, if you don’t Stoop, you don’t live in Napa.”
Luckily, I think this trend is here to stay. If you haven’t joined or started one already, YPNV encourages you to join a supper club. We love the idea of bringing the community together and who knows what other amazing Young Professionals you might meet!
YPNV
P.S. For those interested in learning more about Stoop Supper Club, you can visit their website (https://www.stoopsupperclub.