Enlarge Attendees at the July meeting of Adventurous Palates sample Vietnamese cuisine

Posted: July 8th, 2009 Brant Aycock

A group that got its start on the Crossroads Charlotte website has seen a continual increase in its numbers since its inception. Adventurous Palates is an informal dinner club that meets once a month to try different ethnic restaurants here in Charlotte. The group was started by Brant Aycock and Stacey Richards, who met through their involvement with Crossroads Charlotte.

“I was facilitating a Listening Tour for Crossroads Charlotte in the fall of 2008 which was asking residents what they thought was a good way to bring people together, says Brant Aycock of Russ Communications. “The answer that seemed to come up most often was ‘FOOD’”. Brant mentioned this to his friend Stacey, who worked for Crossroads Charlotte via the Foundation For The Carolinas, and together they came up with the idea.

“We originally came up with the group thinking it would be just us Crossroads people, but it seemed to catch on rather quickly, says Brant. Almost immediately, there were questions regarding the Adventurous Palates Crossroads Group page. Today the group posts its activities on the Crossroads Charlotte website as well as on Facebook.

The first dinner was at an Ethiopian Restaurant, which was a truly adventurous start. There were seven attendees, four of whom were involved directly with Crossroads Charlotte. The most recent dinner happened this week, and there were 15 attendees of varied ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages and backgrounds. Some of these had not met anyone in the group prior to the dinner. “A perfect stranger sent me a message in my inbox inquiring more about how the group was set up and she immediately wanted to participate saying she stumbled across it online and that it was a great idea!!” said Stacey.

“I’ve met friends whom I never would have met otherwise, says Brant. “I think the shared experience of something unfamiliar tends to bond people. There is always a lot of pointing at plates and asking about each others’ dinners. It’s a lot of laughs!”

Stacey Richards agrees, “I have truly enjoyed the dinners also because this is really probably the only time I would ‘try’ and be adventurous (despite my pickiness when I do go!).”

Not only are diners learning about each other, they are learning about other cultures. First time attendee Melissa Harris adds, “Times are a little too tough to travel other countries. Adventurous Palates offers a sneak peek into other parts of the world!"

For more information on Adventurous Palates and their upcoming dinners, CLICK HERE.

Posted: May 14th, 2009 Tracy Russ

One of Crossroads Charlotte's first organizational events, the Dragonboat Festival, returns this Saturday, May 16!

Join hundreds of participants in an authentic and festive celebration of the many Asian cultures that have embraced the Carolinas as their home.

The event will take place at Ramsey Creek Park (Cornelius, I-77, Exit 28) from 11 AM - 4:30 PM.

For more information on this fantastic event, go to http://www.charlottedragonboat.com/index.html