A husband-and-wife team are hosting a series of seven-course, locally sourced dinner parties at their Rittenhouse Square apartment building, all under the name “Calliope,” writes Ali Mohsen for Billy Penn at WHYY.
Ian Moroney, formerly co-owner and chef of Pumpkin, and Sharon Thompson-Schill, a neuroscience professor at the University of Pennsylvania, decided to launch the series as a testament to their shared love of cooking and in supporting local producers.
They hold parties four times a month, mixed between weekends and midweek to ensure they are matching their guests’ schedules.
“It’s not meant to be a full-time thing,” said Thompson-Schill. “We’re just passionate about cooking and making food with each other and sharing it with other people, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Diners are invited into the kitchen throughout the evenings to watch the chefs prepare dishes. Once dinner is over, the pair shares information on the ingredients that they used and where everything was sourced from. The menu changes based on seasonal availability.
“One thing we’re trying to accomplish is trumpeting the things that we love about the local economy, whether it’s the local farms or local businesses,” said Moroney.
The dinners are BYOB and priced at $140 per person.
Read more about the concept and couple behind Calliope in Billy Penn at WHYY.
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