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Texas Jewish Post
—February 1, 2007
Single Gourmet DFW: It’s What’s Cooking
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| A September visit to the Pyramid Room, at the Fairmont Hotel, presented a meal of elegance, as are most choices by Single Gourmet Executive Director Ed Bamberger. |
Dinner is served — with friendship, haute cuisine and a guaranteed night of conversation, camaraderie and likely a warm toast to the future — at Single Gourmet DFW events. Starting its sixth year in the Metroplex, Single Gourmet DFW is a club for singles, ages 30 to 69, offering five or more events a month at fine restaurants throughout the Metroplex.
“After many years of marriage, I found myself divorced and wanting to meet people beyond the bar scene and online programs,” said executive director Ed Bamberger. “A friend in Atlanta suggested I start a local Single Gourmet chapter. Once I saw that Dallas was not one of the 16 cities, in the United States and Canada with a Single Gourmet chapter, my interest was piqued and, after eight months of research and planning, I held my first event.” The kick-off party, at Nana at the Anatole Hotel, was attended by more than 350 people. “I wanted to fill a void for singles in this age bracket, to offer a chance to meet people that they might not likely come in contact with otherwise and to springboard relationships – social and otherwise.
“I hoped for 50 members to join the club in the first year and I had over 300 in just the first two months. It’s been a great experience ever since and I’m always looking forward to meeting new members and sharing the area’s finest restaurants, and bringing the nicest people together,” said Bamberger.
Bamberger suggests that approximately 30 percent of his clientele are Jewish professionals and he sees that number growing. “It’s awkward to have a fine dining experience with a ‘table for one’ and this club brings an end to that,” said Bamberger. “The tables are always arranged with name cards done in calligraphy, and from beginning to end it’s a first-class event.” With most events selling out at capacity, Bamberger. arranges the seating so tablemates will have much in common. He also meets with the chef of each restaurant to develop a memorable menu, specifically for the group.
“Ed, who is really very pleasant, picks the nicest places and they are spots I wouldn’t know about, being relatively new to town,” said Carol Vincent who joined Single Gourmet DFW after relocating from St. Louis early last year. She attended a daylong Italian Culinary Tour, which included Jimmy's (Italian Market), the Mozzarella Company, Civello's for a ravioli making class and lunch at Ferré, the club’s holiday party at The Tower Club, and dinner at Pacific Rim, “which I just loved as I really enjoy Thai food and I’ve been back there a couple of times.
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| Cooking classes, such as the December cheese-making class at Chateau de Fromage, are very popular with Single Gourmet DFW clients. |
Bamberger, a former IBM business show planner and journalist for 20 years, and self-described “people person,” brings his expertise in event planning, his love of, and education in, fine cuisine and his want to fill a need in the community for bringing midlife singles together. Schooled in France and Italy, as well as The Culinary Institute of America, Bamberger is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, The American Institute of Wine & Food and Slow Food. Ed is a published food writer and cookbook editor, served as restaurant critic for America Online and wine consultant for Safeway Stores.
Events can be attended only with a club membership, $195 a year, which includes a monthly e-newsletter that includes the hosting event locations and pricing information for dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. The Web site has menus and photographs of past events and much more. January’s first two events were dinner at Truluck's (Dallas) and a five-course dinner at Escargot (Fort Worth). February’s events include dinners a Sullivan’s, featuring prime beef and fresh seafood; a three-course meal to celebrate the Chinese New Year at Asian Mint; dinner at Suze, a chef-owned hideaway featuring fine New American cuisine, and at Duce in Fort Worth, a spin-off of Tim Love’s Lonesome Dove. The monthly cooking class will be at Ferrari’s Italian Villa with a three-course meal of Tuscan artichoke salad with lemon zabaglione and ciabatta croutons, fresh fettuccine with shrimp, caper berries and white truffle oil and chocolate fondue with assorted dippers with three different wines to complement each course. Membership, and advance reservations through Single Gourmet DFW, are required for all events.
While Bamberger says Single Gourmet DFW is not a dating service, he did in fact meet his wife Mariann, who joined the club in early 2004. Several marriages and many friendships have come from the group it is very common to hear of outside socialization and travel plans for those who’ve come together over a tablecloth and multi-course meal.
“The people who attend are very open and willing to extend themselves to meet with new people,” said Vincent. “Often, at parties or clubs, people stay with those they came with and it’s tough to meet new people. At each of the events I attended people are warm and friendly, most with an open-handed ‘Hi, I’m …., nice to meet you.’ I’ve met one new friend for an outside lunch, and have gone on a date and continue to talk with another.”
The recipe here is to combine a dash of want, a few nights of availability, and a crowd of meaningful guests. Mix with a delightful meal and serve warm. For more information, or to join Single Gourmet DFW, visit www.singlegourmetdfw.com or call (972) 732-8000.