A different dinner experience is on the menu at The Getaway Cafe and Provisions.
 
The restaurant, located in Riverlights Marina Village, debuted a new dinner concept called Supper Club earlier this month. Co-owner Annalee Johnson said Supper Club was envisioned as an effortless way for people to get together, whether guests are celebrating a big milestone like an anniversary or simply unwinding after a stressful day at work.
 
“They can sit back, enjoy a four-course menu and just relax without having to think too much about it,” Johnson said.
 
Johnson enjoyed a similar concept while dining at a restaurant in Washington D.C., where a reservation to dinner involved a fixed menu served community-style with platter after platter of provisions brought to the table for all to share.
 
“It is such a good experience. I’ve always wanted to recreate a similar feeling,” Johnson said.
 
While Johnson expects people to feel “a little shy” about community-style dinners in the aftermath of the pandemic, some elements of that experience are incorporated into The Getaway’s new offering.
 
For each Supper Club, guests pay $60 in advance to secure their spot for dinner, which starts with a sparkling wine toast and passed hors d’oeuvres while everyone, including the chef of the night’s meal, mingles.
 
Next, guests are seated by reservation and hear about the three-course menu they’re about to enjoy. A red or white wine pairing is served alongside an appetizer, entree and dessert, although guests can opt out of wine in favor of beer or soda. The price includes the meal as well as tax and gratuity.
 
Planning each menu allows Johnson’s kitchen team to get creative with flavors and techniques. Past menus have featured dishes like pecan encrusted catfish with malt shiitake mushroom slaw and roasted duck thigh dressed in balsamic soy glaze — the latter of which Johnson said she found especially memorable.
 
“That was one of my favorite things I’ve ever tasted,” she said. 
 
Even though the menu is pre-selected for guests, Johnson said the kitchen can easily accommodate dietary restrictions as long as they’re notified in advance.
 
The eatery, which opened in January of this year, was designed to function as both a restaurant and a social club. In addition to Supper Clubs, the restaurant has previously hosted similar events like wine dinners and cooking classes.
 
Johnson said she hopes that as the restaurant hosts more Supper Clubs, repeat customers will start to recognize each other and establish a shared sense of community.
 
The Getaway offers Supper Club on select Friday and Saturday evenings. The next Supper Club is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on The Getaway’s website.