Collingwood is Ontario’s best four season destination, but what many don’t know is, there is a fifth season – food!
And this is what sparked a fantastic group of food lovers who have been touring the area’s best culinary offerings since 2011.
Let’s Eat! is not a club, nor a static group; it’s a concept. We partner up with area restaurants for unique culinary social events. The guests show up, and the restaurant surprises us with a menu to delight.
Our goal when we started out was to help out favourite small restaurants survive and thrive in an unpredictable market, but Let’s Eat has evolved into something quite a bit different from that. No longer are we holding events only at small restaurants owned by friends, now we host events at a broad variety of restaurants. The smallest venue seated only 30 people, while the largest seated over 60. In some cases we know the restaurant and owner/chef well, while in other cases we’re introduced to the restaurant when they approach us to host a Let’s Eat! event at their establishment. Though every event is different, one thing is consistent: we leave each one feeling excited and fulfilled, having shared a great evening with our guests!
Some guests of Let’s Eat! attend most dinners, while others just pop in once and a while. At each event, you’ll find a mix of familiar faces and new ones. New friendships have developed through Let’s Eat!, and we love the opportunity to reconnect with all the great people we’ve met in this area in the years since we moved here. Let’s Eat! has been a great way for people to get connected, as well. While these are clearly not intended as dedicated networking events, career related connections have certainly come out of Let’s Eat! events. Our guest range from under 30 to around 80 years old, and there’s such a fun variety of personalities, interests, careers, and backgrounds. There’s definitely an exciting vibe at each event, as we mingle with good friends and new friends.
Let’s Eat! also gives chefs a platform in which to flex their culinary muscle. An artist has an exhibit, while a chef has Let’s Eat!. Since the chef/owner gets to set the menu for the evening, they choose some of their signature menu items, or even serve us special items that are not available on their regular menus. It’s always a welcome surprise for all! We start most evenings mingling over appetizers and cocktails before being seated for the main course. There is always more than enough to eat, but it’s the creativity of the chefs and the quality of the food and service that make these events so captivating.
Let’s Eat! can be described as an active advertising opportunity for restaurants. Each hosting restaurant gets to show off its best dishes, its knowledgeable and welcoming staff, and its individuality to every guest of Let’s Eat! In some cases, related businesses have linked up to bring even more to the events, such as wineries and breweries providing pairings for each dish. This is a chance for restaurants to declare who they are and what they’re about. We’re proud to be associated with and supporting the wonderful people who are running the fantastic restaurants in Southern Georgian Bay.
If you’re interested in attending an event, or have any questions about it, please contact organizers Chris and Terri Keleher at chriskeleher@mac.com or terri@sakurainteriors.ca.
Visit Let’sEat.ca website
Terri Keleher
terri@sakurainteriors.ca
www.sakurainteriors.ca
705-888-4625
Reprint from: Southern Georgian Bay Dining & the Arts Winter 2014/15
