November 24, 2009

Bona Sera Supper Club

Miniature ho' cakes topped with green zebra heirloom tomatoes (from the Bona Sera garden) and farm cheese. | Tracklements generously donated the smoked salmon for the sushi.

I may be more than two months late in posting about the Bona Sera Supper Club event that went down on September 19. But, on the bright side, I’m just in time to spread the word about the next one (coming up in less that two weeks). Bona Sera is a community dining project that throws gourmet dinner parties in the Ann Arbor area to benefit local community organizations. I met the Bona Sera crew and found out about what they do over waffles at Selma.

“The Night of 100 Drag Queens”: Back in September, Bona Sera held its biggest, most ambitious event yet. 50 guests enjoyed an aphrodisiac-inspired, six-course meal plus hors d’oeuvres on the romantic grounds of a historic estate. A captivating lineup of drag queens sang, lip-synched, and danced the night away. Many of the volunteers who worked the party enthusiastically plunged into the cross-dressing thing as well (my get-up was comparatively tame: collared shirt, tie, and ’stache). The substantial proceeds were split between two worthy organizations: the HIV AIDS Resource Center and AIDS Partnership Michigan.

The next Bona Sera event will take place on December 5, 2009. Titled “Bad Fairy Does Italy,” this event is inspired by the recent Italian travels of Bona Sera’s Chef (who goes by the alias Bad Fairy). It will feature some very secretly smuggled ingredients and wonderful recipes that she experienced in Italy. You can peek at the menu and register for the event here. (The suggested donation is $50.)

All proceeds from the December 5 event will benefit Alternatives for Girls (AFG), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in southwest Detroit that serves homeless and high-risk girls and young women. Since 1987, AFG has provided critical services to program participants, including safe shelter, educational support, vocational guidance, mentoring and counseling. The goal is to empower girls and young women to make positive choices. AFG helps them repair their lives, rescue their dreams and restore their faith in the future.

I’ll have Sherman set the WABAC Machine for September 19. Roll the film…

Truffle oil focaccia with black trumpet mushrooms (from Seattle). | Grilled plantain with crème fraîche and chives.

Bona Sera Supper Club | Watermelon agua fresca popsicles with watermelon salad, lychee, and pomegranate. | Who’s the hot dish carrying the cold ones? John Roos is quite the Betty.

Watermelon agua fresca popsicles with watermelon salad, lychee, and pomegranate. | Who’s the hot dish carrying the cold ones? John Roos is quite the Betty.

Server ~~Lisa Gottlieb~~ Luigi is fierce. | The host, David.

Bona Sera Supper Club | Laura Sanders gets her love fortune done. Laura co-founded the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, which was the beneficiary of a Bona Sera dinner held last summer.

Laura Sanders gets her love fortune done. Laura co-founded the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, which was the beneficiary of a Bona Sera dinner held last summer.