Mike Butler
After a very unpredictable 2020, I have decided to take life by the reigns and make sure that 2021 is as enjoyable as I can make it. We have many limitations and restrictions in place right now keeping us safe and I am so proud of how we’ve managed through this unpredictable time. Follow the rules and find your fun everyone!
Recently, for the first time, my husband and I took part in an Unpredictable Dining Experience, and it was, as I predicted, one of the most enjoyable evenings we’ve had together. If you’ve lived in the Valley for the last few years you’ve probably heard about these unique evenings filled with food, beverages, and fun, in an unpredictable environment, with odds and sods happening around you. The rumours are true! What was laid before us was a location, an arrival time, and a few hints of a menu, and that was it.
As defined by creator and unpredictable gal Lisa Roese (Boehme), owner and operator of the Locust & Starr Inn and Binky’s Donuts, Unpredictable Dining is the art of good food served in the most unpredictable of places. Once a month, Lisa and her team host a dining experience like no other, with creative chefs whipping up specially-themed dishes, and it’s a feast for all the senses.
Our Valentines and Chocolate themed evening was made possible through the efforts of Chef Mike Schroeder, who created mouth-watering dishes, incorporating chocolate into each of them, and they were heaven! “I have done Unpredictable for the past 2 years,” he says. “My first was on a very hot day at Tangled Garden. I met Lisa, we got talking, and our partnership bloomed. The menu is always a mix of Lisa’s ideas and my background, and often we bounce ideas off one another and my mind does the rest. The day of the dinner is long with lots of prep work, from sourcing local ingredients to trying to find that special item for the dinner.”
Covid-19 restrictions have turned the Unpredictable Dining Experience into something more intimate, and in my mind more special, as the groups are kept small, the location allows for proper spacing and cleaning, and it’s a fast-paced, hilarious, and delicious evening. Back in the day, the Unpredictable Dining experience hosted events in locations like The Tangled Garden, Grand Pré Winery, and the Box of Delights Bookshop, but now they’re keeping it local and easily accessible (until the weather gets warmer) at Locust & Starr Inn (14 Locust Avenue).
Each occasion features a prix fixe menu to reflect both the seasons and local foods, and always showcasing the chef’s specialties. The dinners are limited to “10 guests per seating, 2 seatings per event,” says Lisa, and “cocktails and canapes are included. It’s BYOB with no corkage fee, and what you get in return is a very unique evening out with…well, it’s Unpredictable!” Due to availability and seating limitations Unpredictable are not able to accommodate any food substitutions or dietary restrictions. Each season they make sure to host vegetarian and seafood dinners, so please reach out if you are unsure which is best for you!
Call Lisa at 902-599-1108, or email unpredictabledining@gmail.com, or info@locustandstarr.com. The only thing predictable about an Unpredictable event is you’ll love it!