This Month's Gorilla: Divine Dining

I've mentioned before that I write for The Gorilla. It's a fun writing gig and I get to seek out cool and unusual people and food-tastic events here in Frederick County.

It's more than just finding someone who bakes great cookies or makes a mean milkshake (though if you know someone who can whip up the perfect coffee shake, please let me know asap--Frederick seems to have a serious lack of ice cream right now and I am just about freaking out). I get to find the cool and the fun, and this month's Epicuriosity column is all about that.

My buddy Josh clued me in on monthly gourmet dinners being held at All Saint's Episcopal Church on Church St., right across from city hall. The talented leader of the group, the charming and jovial Harry Lawrence and his sweet sweet sweetie of a wife Jeanne work with a dedicated and hard-working crew to pull off fancy-pants church dinners, minus the mac and cheese..

I'm certain that in another life, Harry would certainly be running his own four-star fine dining joint, sous-viding his way to culinary super-stardom with his sturdy and faithful crew by his side. But in this life, Harry works his day job and once a month tangoes his way through the kitchen fantastic to pull off dinners like absolutely perfectly-cooked red snapper with key lime sauce or lamb tagine with Israeli couscous, a far cry from the fried chicken & ham loaf dinners I've attended.

The dinners are held on the second Wednesday of each month in the church's fellowship hall. It's not a super religious gathering, but more an evening of camaraderie and fun, with a great dinner, all for just $15. Can you imagine?

Take a look at the full article HERE and you can find a few pics of Harry & Co. Here's one I totally lifted from the Gorilla site that the talented Casey Martin took at the December dinner:

Aren't they cutie-patooties? And talented too!

Check out the dinners and be sure to put one on your schedule. A word of warning though. February's dinner falls on the first day of Lent, so don't expect the usual fanfare and gourmet delights that are typically dished out. This will more be a recognition of the season and a relaxed soup affair, though I'm certain they'll be delightful, and hey--this one is just 10 bucks! Not your cup of tea? No worries. Join me in March and we'll have a heckuva good time. Register right here.