LoneSavant

-I'm a self-made personal chef, establishing a business in a community that's beginning to develop a noticeable culinary culture.

-Most of my training comes from my family, all of whom are deeply rooted in culinary arts as both tradition and occupation-- it's something I grew up with.

-The rest of my training is experiential, both locally and abroad.

-Private cheffing was a natural next step- I went from hosting an informal supper club, to now running a floating underground restaurant, and now I take on private clients who are interested in expanding their food-world.

-I'm an avid proponent of the Slow-Food Movement, and focus my cooking on traditional methods that run the risk of being lost.

-I also focus on utilizing local, sustainable, and healthful ingredients, and love to be able to share new local sources with my clients, building more business for my local suppliers/growers.

-I team up with local businesses to add special touches to my events (e.g. Violet Flowershop provides complimentary bouquets for all my dinners, etc.).

-I'm also well-trained in wine and beer--I brew my own, even--and am an experienced mixologist, so wine tastings and cocktail parties are par for the course.

-Professionally, I teach, and so to combine two of my passions- food and teaching-- is a great opportunity for me. I love to give cooking classes!

-Most importantly, I use food as an opportunity to explore culture, tradition, and skill, making things that seem "difficult" "foreign" or "strange" accessible and enjoyable right in someone's home. Food isn't just "what's for dinner". It's about learning and growing, it's about understanding history and tradition, it's about connecting with one's health and environment, and it's about strengthening a community.

The Full Moon Supper Club:

The Full Moon Supper Club approaches its one-year anniversary as an exploration in local culture and world cuisine. The Full Moon Supper Club is a semi-public underground restaurant which gathers up to twice per month at varying locations to share in dinners of local, homemade, or unusual delight. The group’s philosophy is that of the renewal of the “dinner table culture”—that is, the idea that meeting for a meal is not just nourishment, nor is it simply entertainment. It’s a chance for conversation, fellowship, and community-building. The Full Moon Supper Club does not publicly advertise, rather It finds it members through an ever-growing network of rumors, hearsay, and excited former guests. We have been featured in articles in Revue and Grand Rapids Magazine, and will be in future publications come midsummer. Our rule is, “if you’ve ever been invited to a FMSC dinner, you’re then welcome to invite others next time!”

As a non-profit floating group, we are always looking for community businesses, organizations, and groups who follow similar goals and philosophies as the ours. Local farms donate ingredients, local brewers/vintners bring wine and beer to share, and local businesses welcome our groups into their space so that our guests can get a real, personal experience with the people and businesses in their community that share their focus on local sustainability and interaction.

To join this group is to identify with a community of food-lovers, professional, hobbyist, and devout amateur, and seek a deepening and enriching of community, accomplished only at the dinner table!

Stay attentive for further updates-- our next party is waxing!

See you at the table.

T