At this Secret Dinner, we dined at an establishment new to most of us, including myself! Thirty amazing All Access Foodies joined together for an incredible evening of food, beverage, and community at Black Radish.
Black Radish, led by Chefs Jesse Edmunds and Matt Swezey, is a vegetable focused establishment featuring shareable small and large plates, handmade pastas, natural wines, and draft cocktails. Located in Midtown at 1304 N Monroe Street, Black Radish is the newest member of the Seven Hills Hospitality Group also including Liberty Bar and Restaurant, El Cocinero, The Hawthorn, and Bar 1903!
Like the previous, this Secret Dinner also sold out in under a minute, unbelievable!!! I’m so very grateful to all of our Tallahassee Foodies All Access supporters.
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 one long table, building community. We had such a wonderful evening!
Our Secret Dinner At Black Radish
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 each dish by the chef, and a community experience. Aside from these elements of our Secret Dinner exclusive format, we also try to customize the experience a bit, per the character of each establishment. For Black Radish, the focus was on proving that savory, vegetable rich dishes could gain the appreciation of patrons that often order meat as a main course, yet they also added on a couple of dishes featuring meat as well.
What’s interesting about this dinner is that I had never been to Black Radish before! At the beginning of every Secret Dinner, I always ask “who is dining at this establishment for the first time”, since the most fun part of this adventure series is welcoming newbies, and this is the first time I’ve raised my hand along with other guests!
Although I would have never imagined hosting an event at an establishment that was new to me, Tallahassee Foodies actually goes way back with the Black Radish team! In fact, our first ever fun, informal Tallahassee Foodies meetup was at their Seven Hills Hospitality Group’s sister establishment The Hawthorn years ago, and we packed the place. I wasn’t sure if many people were following along with our “new at the time” Facebook Group until that moment when Tallahassee Foodies filled their amazing bistro and bakery! It was a magical moment, and Chef Jesse’s team absolutely killed it!
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….
Chefs Jesse Edmunds and Matt Swezey created a spectacular prix fixe menu for our All Access Foodies! When planning the dinner, the Chefs and I were in agreement that the dinner should curate items from their restaurant’s current menu, since this is a newer establishment. We wanted to introduce everyone to dishes they could order again when they revisit in the near future, before their menu gets its next round of seasonal updates.
Black Radish Secret Dinner Menu:
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Sourdough
Seaweed Butter, Olive Oil
Beets & Berries
Golden And Red Beets, Black Pepper Goat Cheese, Mixed Berry Sauce, Candied Pecans, Arugula, Orange Zest
Miso Grit Cake
Grill Play Of Sunlight Mushrooms, Vegan Demi-Glace, Chimichurri, Pickled Red Onion
Bucatini
Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce, Peas, Pea Shoots, Garlic Crumb, Lemon Zest, Georgia Farms Olive Oil
Ricotta Gnocchi
Grilled Ribeye, Parmesan Cream, Kale, Red Papper Flake, Lemon Zest
Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Pie
Whipped Peanut Butter, Chocolate Ganache, Peanut Butter Sauce, Candied Peanuts
You could taste every single high-quality ingredient in each of those dishes, all stand out! Black Radish turned people that said, “I would never order beets” into beet lovers! How could you not love beets when served over a whipped black pepper goat cheese smothered in candied pecans, a berry sauce, and orange zest? And again, this is the point of our Secret Dinners… that’s my favorite thing to overhear when people say, “I would have NEVER ordered this at a restaurant, but I LOVE IT!”
The miso grit cake with savory sunlight mushrooms and pickled onions was incredible, I loved the hint of lemon in the bucatini, the grilled ribeye was seasoned and cooked to perfection over a delicious ricotta gnocchi, and thank goodness for a Secret Dinner finally serving a chocolate dessert! I never influence actual menu item selections so that the menu is 100% a chef designed creation, but FINALLY chocolate! This dessert was a simple, yet incredibly tasty peanut butter icebox pie that was enjoyed by all.
Mitchel Rosborough, bar program manager for Black Radish, curated our wine selections, introducing each pairing when served with each dish. The food and wine complimented each other perfectly! He is so talented, so knowledgable and I enjoy learning about wine from him. You probably recognize him from other bars around town over the years including Bar 1903 and Poco Vino.
Everything was so super delicious, we were all wow’ed by each course!
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 Black Radish team for the delicious food, incredibly paired wine, and wonderful service, to Pablo Gabes of Your Social 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 Black Radish at:
Socials – Website, Facebook, Instagram
Address – 801 S Gadsden St, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone – (850) 759-4300
