A Golden Hour Gathering: Inside Mieux Ensemble
BY EMMA GEARY - JUNE 15, 2023
Last week, LAB did something outside our day-to-day routine and hosted a summery, French dinner party in our space. Take a peek inside how we transformed the space into a golden hour oasis with the help of Paris Dining Club, Henry & Son, and Ampersand Galleria.
At LAB, we truly believe that we are Better Together, or as the French would say, Mieux Ensemble. To support this idea of gathering and fostering new connections within our community, we teamed up with Paris Dining Club to host an intimate dinner party at our studio. It was an evening of discovery, laughter, and connection.
In honor of the French cuisine Jamie Malone served, we drew upon the concept of French salons in the 18th century, where people came together to share their talents, creativity, and perspective in a safe space.
Much like those early days, Mieux Ensemble was a combination of our many talents, brought to life for one night only. We had Mollie to thank for the curated tablescape vision with Ampersand Galleria, Erica’s adorable custom illustrations, a written welcome toast by Emma, and photography by Kate - all of our creative superpowers combined to celebrate the act of coming together.
As Priya Parker says in The Art of Gathering, “Gatherings crackle and flourish when real thought goes into them and when the (often invisible) structure is baked into them, and when a host has the curiosity, willingness, and generosity of spirit to try.”
Before the dinner, we asked each of our twenty attendees to share three things: Your go-to comfort food, your “must-play” song at a dinner party, and something that has been on your mind lately. We received a range of answers from, “I’m Single!” to, “mashed potatoes and mac & cheese,” to “Bongo Cha Cha Cha” to, “chatGPT.”
At this table, twenty different stories, experiences, and daily lives all hummed together in motion. Twenty different dishes they crave after a long day. Songs they hum to themselves. And for a few hours, they all intersected around our table.
Each course was paired with a natural French wine selection from Henry & Son that was bold enough to stand out among the flavorful dishes Jamie prepared for us. Each course was comprised of many sharable dishes, making the entire evening feel comfortably family-style as attendees shared everything from potato galette to smoked trout dip. We can’t forget dessert, either, vanilla bean custard with a caramel-y sweet wine paring.
As the night drew to a close, we shared an extra-special surprise with guests. As a parting gift, everyone received a gift card to Ampersand Galleria to continue the momentum behind hosting similar intimate gatherings. Paris Dining Club also provided a discount (you can get one here, too!) for an upcoming meal kit to keep the party going. Hosting a dinner party like this was a LAB first. But we had the curiosity to try, and what a magical night it was.
To learn more about upcoming dinner parties, LAB events, and more, sign up for our email list. Cheers to a summer of gatherings!
Emma Geary
Emma is a writer living in Minneapolis. When she's not checking out a new brewery with friends or blasting Taylor Swift in her car, you can find her dreaming up ideas as the Brand + Editorial Manager at LAB.
