At this Secret Dinner, we delivered a sunset view! Forty amazing All Access Foodies joined together for an incredible evening of food, beverage, and community at Charlie Park, located in the AC Hotel by Marriott in Cascades Park. Even though we doubled the capacity for our fourth Secret Dinner, this one also sold out in 45 seconds, unbelievable!!!
3 Elements To Our Secret Dinner –
- members pay up front with zero knowledge of where they’re going
- members receive an email with the address the day of the event
- members are given a custom, prix fixe menu upon arrival
The ultimate goal of our Secret Dinner Series is to bring a new, adventurous concept to Tallahassee, introduce our All Access Foodies subscribers to restaurants that are either new to them, or menu items they may have never tried, all while spending time together at a long table, building community. We had so much fun!
Our Secret Dinner At Charlie Park
I love that every Secret Dinner we’ve hosted has similar elements of beautifully plated courses delivered at the same time, an intro to the restaurant and an intro to each dish by the chef, and a community experience. Aside from this exclusive format at each location, we also try to customize the experience a bit, per the character of each establishment. For Charlie Park, the feature that separates this space from all others is that view!!!
My first chat with Charlie Park was way back in July when the Secret Dinner idea was brand new. I put off a collab with them for months because the DREAM, my dream, was a long table on that terrace at sunset!!! The sun would set too late in the summer months, so we held off until October. The fall evening came through for us and delivered the most beautiful sky over our view of Cascades Park. It was a picturesque wine pairing dinner.
I asked, can we do a wine pairing dinner? Yes! Can we host this in the fall for an earlier sunset, yes! Can we reorganize your entire terrace to fit a long community table? Yes! In fact, they blocked off the entire terrace, complete with signage, noting that this space was held for a private event. Lucky us!
Their entire team, led by Chef Max, Emily Lee – Sales and Marketing Manager at For The Table Hospitality, and Phil Vanderau – General Manager at Charlie Park, came through on all of my requests, executed perfectly.
Quick note before you scroll on – Secret Dinners are exclusive for our All Access Foodies only. Check out our previous Secret Dinners to catch up on all the fun we’ve had together so far!
Massive photo dump and more details ahead….
I had the pleasure of introducing Chef Max and he was welcomed with applause from our guests. They remember him from Max’s Steaks, Shakes and Fries, and I have to admit, he is killing it at Charlie Park.
When Charlie Park introduced their fall menu and offered All Access Foodies 25% off our entire bill, my husband and I showed up for a date night, ate a lot, drank a lot, all from their fall menu, and it was fantastic. I’ve always loved their food, but this new seasonal menu is next level.
For our Secret Dinner, Chef Max offered a menu that was entirely custom, and so many members said it was the best meal they’ve ever had at Charlie Park!
Charlie Park Secret Dinner Menu:
Amuse
Tuna Tar-Tart
Misuna Mustard Green. Coconut Foam, Black Sesame Dust
Pairing – Villa Wolf Sparkling Rose
First Course
Butternut Squash Soup, Crispy Sage, Creme Fraiche, Bacon Lardon
Pairing – Senalo Lugana
Second Course
Braised Short Rib, White Truffle Pommes Puree, Roasted Fall Vegetables, Red Wine Beef Jus
Pairing – Carlos Seres Rioja Reserva
Third Course
Olive Oil Cake, Lemon Curd, Blackberry Gastrique
Pairing – Mimi’s Lemon Bar-Tini
Sommelier Derek Captain of Wine Bow Fine Wine and Spirits curated our wine selections, introducing his pairings as they were served with each course. The food and wine complimented each other perfectly, and I know a lot of us filled out a card to purchase a few bottles. I am a rosé all day girl, never quite ready to let go of summer, so I picked up two bottles of the Villa Wolf Sparkling Rose, and a bottle of the Carlos Seres Rioja Reserva for Thanksgiving Dinner.
For our Secret Dinners series, we hope to offer a wide array of cuisines from multicultural backgrounds, ranging from super casual to elegant wine pairing dinners!
What an incredible experience! Thank you so much to the entire Charlie Park team for the delicious food, incredibly paired wine, and wonderful service, to Emily Lee for these beautiful images, and to our All Access Foodies for joining us for such a fun-filled evening.
Secret Dinners are exclusive for our All Access Foodies only. For as little as $5 per month, you receive access to our private deals page, monthly perks, and first access to exclusive events. Funding pays for blog hosting, newsletter expenses, and the articles that help give back to our local community.
Find Charlie Park at:
Socials – Website, Facebook, Instagram
Address – 801 S Gadsden St, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone – (850) 759-4300
