Wine dinner at a cheese shop.

There is a lot to love about the Jenzers. The energy Chelsea brings to a room. The way Brian makes a sandwich not just a sandwich. Their heart for the community and passion for creating something really good out of this little restaurant they call home. They are the kind of people who have a big idea and know how to pull it off. 

So when I brought them my vision to host a multi-course prix fixe dinner with full service and wine pairings at Artisan Beer & Cheese, I wasn’t totally certain of what that would look like. But I knew I was coming to the right people. Reassured by what I later came to recognize as Brian’s default quiet confidence, we set a date and the first official Dinner Underground collaboration was born. 

January has a way of inching along, with its cold mornings and darker days. The rush of the holiday season has passed and we finally settle in for the winter. Looking forward to a dinner party in the midst of it all created a small spark of warmth during what is usually a dormant time.

In the week leading up to the event, we prepared the final details and questioned whether the impending ice storm might impact what we’d spent months preparing for. Winter weather blowing through as freezing rain often causes a small bit of chaos in North Carolina. The timing was in our favor, though, ultimately creating a cozy opportunity for guests to escape for one final evening, and stock up with a bottle or two of wine, before the town shut down over the next few days. 

“And as I watched the seats fill, I realized we left ourselves nothing to hide behind. It was time to make a vision into reality.” 

When I arrived at Artisan, the restaurant was abuzz— shifting from daytime cheese shop to pop-up dinner party. I noticed the mix of anticipation and excitement around the change of pace, but the six-person crew flowed easily through the space and the energy was calm and welcoming above all else. We pushed tables together, made room for two more, dimmed the lights, and launched the playlist. The atmosphere was set for the night ahead. 

The first pour was ready and guests began to trickle in. A double date for a birthday celebration. Old friends coming together to try something new. A mother and daughter duo who share a love of food and wine. One long table down the middle of the room, seating arrangements to allow for connections new and old. An approachable and relaxed setting, a reflection of the space itself. And as I watched the seats fill, I realized we left ourselves nothing to hide behind. It was time to make a vision into reality. 

Placing trust in his team, Brian and Chef Danny Chavez worked together like well-choreographed dance partners. A coursed dinner for 18 guests sets a different rhythm than the day-to-day at Artisan, but Brian moved gracefully between tasks, years of experience making it second nature. If there was any stress or pressure, it never surfaced. Every now and then, he stepped back to see the meal unfolding, appreciating the wine pairings coming to life— an artist pausing to take in the work.

For most of the evening I watched from the sidelines. I learned the history of the almost 100 year old Pedroncelli family vineyard in California, and why their Mother Clone Zinfandel complements dark chocolate and passion fruit. I caught the satisfying first bites of a friend experiencing the true beauty that is hand-rolled pasta. I saw guests expand their culinary palate with a bite of tartare, choosing to leave slightly more adventurous than they came.

I warmed at the sight of a couple laughing together, stealing a small kiss between courses. Overheard new friends if only just for the evening, forging bonds over found commonalities. Learned that a couple of the guests walked to dinner together, never imagining an experience like this could be so close to their own small town.

As the evening wound down we lingered in the cozy energy of the past few hours. Guests perused the shelves for a bottle of wine that would pair well with a winter storm, taking the opportunity to ask questions about their favorite sips off the menu. I sampled the chocolate mousse with chocolate-covered poprocks, also feeling slightly more adventurous from the night as a whole.  

“for the simple act of enjoying a meal together”

And as I met with each group of guests, snapping a quick low-quality but highly nostalgic polaroid to send them off, I soaked up the fact that this group of people had chosen to spend their time gathered around a table in Rolesville, NC on a cold evening in January for the simple act of enjoying a meal together.

Good food and good company. Something we can always come back to.