What’s for Dinner?

We’ve just finalized the Dinner in the Dark menu for 2017! If you’ve never been to our Dinner in the Dark event, this is our primary fundraiser for the year and is critical to our ability to support our LCA advocacy, outreach, and research funding goals. It’s also an opportunity to connect with our mission for a short while as our guests eat dinner with a blindfold on and experience their meal without sight. (Spoiler alert: it’s not just about getting that fork to your mouth!)

Finally, this event is also a foodie’s delight. We really love to share a meal – a really, really good meal with paired wines – together.

So, what is on the menu? It’s a secret. That’s right, we don’t tell you what you’re eating. We let your sense of smell, taste and texture figure it out. (For those of you with food allergies, don’t despair! We can accommodate food restrictions so long as we know ahead of time.)

So while we can’t tell you what’s on the menu for Dinner in the Dark on October 14, 2017 (save that date!) we can tell you what has been on the menu in previous years.

Each of these menus was exclusively designed by the Chef at the four-star award winning Octagon restaurant and is a feast for the sense, incorporating surprising flavors, textures and smells. Get ready to get your drool on!

Dinner in the Dark 2016

Passed Hors d’Oeuvres
Greek salad skewers with cucumbers, kalamata olives grape tomatoes and a feta-oregano vinaigrette
Lemongrass chicken skewer with a mint-ginger rub and pickled plum jam
Lobster profiteroles
Micro arugula & grapefruit

1st Course
Soup & salad duet plate with roasted chestnut mushroom cappuccino soup
& baby spinach salad with pomegranate, candied walnuts and a cider vinaigrette

2nd Course
Smoked duck breast sliced over pumpkin flan, balsamic-fig gastrique

3rd Course:
Wild King Salmon en papillote with fennel, arugula, carrots and grapefruit

Dessert Buffet
Pumpkin crème brulee
Apple tartlet
Mocha pot d’ crème
French macaroons

Dinner in the Dark 2015

Reception
International cheese display & vegetable crudite & dips

Parmigiano Reggiano, Vermont cheddar, smoked gouda, brie, herb-crusted chevre with artisan breads and gourmet crackers

1st Course
“Popcorn” Shrimp – chili lime marinated grilled shrimp on a skewer served over avocado salad with pickled onions, mini seasoned popcorn & wine

2nd Course
Sunburst Salad Trio served in savory cones with three types of dressings for dipping: sherried green goddess dressing, verjus feta vinaigrette, yuzo wasabi vinaigrette

3rd Course
Moroccan braised beef short rib served with risotto timbale & roasted winter vegetables

Dessert Buffet
Chocolate coffee & donuts
Apple cobbler in a mini apple
Fizzy fruit shooters
Pumpkin chestnut panna cotta in a mini pumpkin

Dinner in the Dark 2014

Reception
Local artisan cheeses with artisan breads and gourmet crackers

First Course
Soup shooter duet: butternut squash bisque & dragon chowder

Second Course
Asian Fall vegetable wrap served with three dipping sauces: sesame ginger, thai salted lime and cucumber cream

Third Course
Stonington scallop risotto with truffle pearls

Fourth Course
Pan roasted guinea fowl with parsnip mashed potatoes & brussel sprouts

Dessert
Mini chocolate lava cake
Curry marshmallow popcorn
Frutta di bosco