We call ours a cookbook club but it's similar to a dinner club except we have a theme every month. It is supposed to be a learning experience and so we have to make dishes we've never made before.

1 - we rotate hosting duties

2 - the host determines the theme and makes the entree (easier than toting an entree someplace)

3 - we do a rotation as to who brings vegetables, salads, starch, dessert, etc.

4 - we don't always serve alcohol -- none of us are big drinkers so its no big deal whether we have it or not

5 - the hostess does the dishes -- the guests are guests

We're on our 4th year and the above seems to work. If someone can't make it we don't try to fill in with someone else and if we're missing a bread or a starch, we're just missing it -- we have way too much food as it is anyway.

We used to be part of one and it was fun. Ours was 5 couples and we rotated homes every 6 weeks. Ours was based on countries and the host chose the country and made the main dish, did a little research on the country and tried to add a little authenticity through dress or table setting. The rest would bring the other courses and the food was again representative of the chosen country - we hope.

We liked it, It broke up only because one of our friends/members was diagnosed with a severe form of cancer. (Ten years later, after a stem cell transplant she is doing really well)

If you are eating in, I have several suggestions. You have a rotation as to what dishes you bring. That is, one month you bring an appetizer, one month Salad, one month dessert, one month drinks, one month bread, one month main dish. Otherwise, the same person is going to offer to bring the bread every month. Another way to handle cost is everyone tallies up what they spent on their portion of the meal, it is added together and divided by the number of attendees.

Another option is to take turns who will be hosting, go to their place for cocktails and appetizers and go out to a restaurant for dinner. In this case, host person serves appetizers and drinks, and picks the restaurant. Rules are, restaurant must take reservations and give separate checks. Either way, have fun!

These answers are making me excited to have this. So far, I'm not sure I would've thought of rotating which thing you bring. I assumed it'd be a bring a dish thing, but wonder if going out is on the table? I need to ask. One thing I'm really thinking about, and I don't know why is the couple factor. I've still not dated since my divorce (2008 separation), but maybe it might be good to invite a friend along even if not a date. It changes the dynamic so much. For instance, I know I don't want my son around when I am hosting. I know I want my turn to be June or July since I'm sure the gardens will be at full lushness. Other than that, I'm looking forward to new friends and a new routine. Gonna be fun!

Our church has had supper clubs for years. One is assigned to them unless one is a member of two who are "special" and cannot be changed. It is supposed to be 4 "couples" or a mix of couples and singles to end up with 8 people. The first year I joined, we never met a single time; there were two UPS pilots in the group and we could never find a mutually agreeable date!

The next year, I was in a different group. The idea was that the host would provide the entree and the other couples would bring the rest of the meal. We did manage to get together 4 times that year. They were nice people but they all lived WAY out and I live close-in. I really didn't have much in common with them and hated the drive back home in the dark by myself (I needed Navigation to find my way out of their enormous subdivisions to the main road!). I haven't done it since as the only close-in groups are the two "untouchable" ones.

People's cooking abilities can vary greatly and to have to sit at a dinner table and pretend to eat something that is practically inedible is not pleasant.

My daughter and her husband did a small one when they first moved back here, but in this one (3 couples), the women all cooked the food together that day, and then they regrouped to eat the food that night. They had great fun but it stopped when they started having babies - too hard to do something with the babies while they cooked all day.

On her blog, she says that they bonded over the the club after having lost her newborn. I find that interesting, and I do hope that my experiences are going to be similar. I could use some strong friends who know how to relax :)

I think this is a great idea for you! DO IT!!!

Anything that gets you together with others socially is a win/win. But I am confused with your post.

You were invited to join a supper club that your friend is forming. Shouldn't it up to her to figure out the logistics? Or, is she having a pre meeting to see what works for everyone.

I am assuming that your friend knows you are single. Personally, I wouldn't want to be a single with other couples. I am hoping for bonding purposes, this group is just women. ( But that's just me.......ducking my head and slinking out of the room.)

Just my take: Men change the dynamic of a group. I once belonged to a parent's group that met during the day. One husband came. We really couldn't talk about certain topics with him in the room. He was perfectly nice, but again the group could go in a certain direction with a man present.

I did this with a group from out local women's club. One group did monthly meals to which each contributed an assigned dish, and another group did lunch out. For the assigned group, the hostess sets the theme, menu and recipes and assigns recipes to each member. The cost of each dish is submitted and divided by the number attending. The hostess does liquids which are non alcoholic since this was lunch. For example, one April lunch theme was after paying taxes. The place mats were rectangles of newspaper. The salad bowls were tuna cans, well washed. I assume the glasses were jars of some sort. It was the talk of the club.

Thanks for asking eld, it's premeeting stuff and I'm wondering what to expect. I find I do a lot better when I have an idea what might happen. She always has an eclectic group of friends and I am so go with the flow, she knows it'll be ok whatever transpires. Men and couples absolutely change the dynamic. Kids really do. You're very right. If it was just women that'd be great, but I don't see her doing that. We'll know once more people lock in.

She asked me earlier today if I still played my musical instrument (don't get me going I might not stop: marching band (flute, color guard, drum major instructor, winterguard), concert band (first chair), wind ensemble (last chair by choice (I was already first in concert band and loved playing harmony), and orchestra (piccolo) in award winning bands throughout high school). She also commented on a high school alum (we grew up in the same neighborhood) who plays his flute professionally and I know she hangs out with him. That'd be me and him as "couple" without it being a couple. She'll keep the dynamic right. Just as a for instance. We have several friends that are couples, some that are single, some that are gay, it's always a mashup of dynamics. Should be interesting.

It sounds very interesting and I wish you all success. One thing I'd like to understand up front is, what expectation is there for the food to be home-cooked versus store bought.

Singles' night?

dcarch

Not necessarily singles. My point was "balance"

If she asked about musical instruments how about having a musical night jam session with snacks to follow. Would be difficult if only instrument was a piano. While winter dinners are nice suggest starting out in spring rather than right now unless you do not have nasty winter weather. I belong by default to a lunch group that once a month meets at a local restaurant. Right before we breakup the group suggests where the next lunch will be held. Not all parts of the country has the variety of restaurants that we have so might not work for some.

No way in heck I'd play with this dude(s). I haven't practiced at all. Nope. Not gonna happen. No way!

That sounds like fun, rob. A friend of mine belonged to a group like this and she really enjoyed it. They all loved to cook and had a lot of fun planning and deciding what to make each month. They (group of women) got together most of the time and once or twice a year husbands/partners were invited to attend.

I'd love to do something like that, but I don't know enough people who would commit to a once a month activity like that. If once a month is too often for some, maybe quarterly would work out - that is something I might be able to get my friends to agree to.

For several years, we belonged to a supper club with five couples. We did not have a schedule, the dinner parties happened when someone felt like hosting! The hosts provided the theme ( BBQ, French, comfort food, etc.) And the cocktails. The rest of us chose/signed up for a course, i.e. appetizer, dessert, side dish and/ or salad. The only rule we had was no storebought dessert!

I...we...because when it started my husband was alive...belonged to a dinner club that met on the 3rd Sunday of every month. We were 5 couples and rotated meeting houses. Host couple did booze and main course and others brought appetizers, salad, dessert and a side....usually a vegetable. Usually there was no "theme". One couple didn't cook. She was young and a second wife carrea woman....so they did shrimp a lot for appys and often grilled steaks or a rolled rib roast....when they had dessert it was usually a bought one....but gradually she learned and also learned that we didn't mind her learning dishes.
It was a planned thing....for example when I hosted I always knew who was bringing dessert etc.
We continued for about 3 years after my husband died, but then another couple split, and another man began to have a problematic drinking habit so we disbanded.
It was great fun....everyone went all ojut with decorations and table settings, sometimes providing silly favors.
Enjoy...but don't make it too structured but make sure everyone does what needs to be done so you have a nice meal and no one has to carry more of the burden than another.