On Monday I shared with y’all the Table Setting from our Valentine’s Pop-Up Dinner and today I wanted to show you some behind the scenes of the actual dinner and the menu.  In order to make the whole thing happen I called Steva Casey.  Steva is a self-proclaimed “booze peddler” and arguably the best bartender in Birmingham, but her latest venture is SwingShift Pop-Up Dinners.  Steva coordinates with chefs around Birmingham and hosts dinners in non-traditional settings as well as homes.  For our dinner she worked with Haller McGee, one of our favorite Birmingham chefs.  We met to discuss my likes and dislikes (there aren’t many) and wine pairings.  Everyone in our group seemed to have a bottle of wine they had been waiting to open so we decided that Steva would start the evening with a punch to go along with the amuse and pair wines with the first and second course and provide a desert wine.  For the main course it was BYOB.  I really can’t tell you what my favorite dish was but I will say I could have licked the ravioli bowl. For me the best part of the night was the interaction between Chef and Steva and all of our dinner guests.  The how and why of cocktails and cuisine was woven throughout the dinner as each interacted with the 10 of us in the most unobtrusive and natural way.  There is much discussion of a “Sunset Drive Pop-Up Supper Club.”

The Menu

Amuse
Buckwheat Blinis with Gravlax, Creme Fraiche, Caviar and Dill
Punch “Love’s Labour’s Lost” 

First Course
Pan Seared Diver Scallop, Cauliflower Puree, Baby Roasted Beets, and Apple Celery Leaf Salad
2013 Lioco Rose

Second Course
Sweet Potato Ravioli, Crispy Bacon, Walnuts, Sage, and Brown Butter
2010 Riffault Sancerre Rouge

Third Course
Pomegranate Braised Beef Short Rib, Charred Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, and Pomegranate Seeds

Dessert
Magic City Macarons with a fromage plate
Lallier Grande Reserve

SwingShift Pop-Up Dinner March Schedule
Swingshift will be hosting a series of dinners throughout the month of March including the four dates listed below.  The idea behind SwingShift is to highlight chefs from all over the city of Birmingham.   SwingShift is really fired up to announce that for the first time Wil Drake will be a part of the pop-up family. The great thing about this dinner series is that each chef is different; you could attend all four and have a completley unique experience each time.  Each dinner is $50 for three courses including alcohol.

March 4th–Victor King
Victor is starting Salty Ham Provisions and his cooking is influenced from his time at Highlands and Brick and Tin.
March 6th–Wil Drake
Wil has been doing a series with Roscoe Hall called Knife Party and Swingshift is excited to combine forces for their first dinner together.
March 7th–Robin Bashinsky
Robin is a regular with Swingshift and also works in the test kitchen at Cooking Light.  Robin honed his approach to food working in several restaurants in Birmingham, including Hot and Hot Fish Club.
March 11th–John Hall
John has done several dinners with us, as well as, several smaller dinners on his own. John spent time in New York working at Gramercy Tavern and Momofuku before he moved back to Birmingham to open Post Office Pies.

Reservations
Steva Casey
Swinghift Pop-Up Dinners
swingshiftpopup@gmail.com
include the number in your party and any dietary restrictions

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