Dorsia Dinner Party Series

After moving to Boulder in 2011, Char decided to start throwing elaborate 12-person themed dinner parties for her friends. The themes skewed toward the macabre and the guests always had too much fun. The food was catered by Blackbelly, and head chef Hosea always played along (even showing up to one event with a real pig head he thought would make a good centerpiece!). The four dinner parties that stand out the most were:

Dorsia (April 2012): Modeled after the impossible-to-get-into restaurant from American Psycho, this black tie affair was the event that kicked off the tradition of dark dinner themes. Decor was elegant, and every guest received a silver, custom-engraved business card holder containing their placecard (Silian Rail on Bone, naturally).

Char’s Web (July 2012): Given Blackbelly’s proclivity for pork products, Char decided the next event should be a southern-style bourbon, beer, and bacon dinner. The theme this time was “Char’s Web”, a grislier take on the children’s book. Char hand-etched monogrammed wine glasses for each guest and built a giant lit spiderweb to serve as the backdrop.

Silence of the Lambs (November 2012): In keeping with the horror-movie vibe, the third dinner party featured sweetbreads, fava beans, and a nice chianti. Char constructed a giant cage from PVC pipe and foam board to make sure none of the 12 dinner guests could escape their fate. Menus were letters sealed with wax, and party favors were initialized wax stamps custom for each guest.

Se7en (July 2013): The final noteworthy party in the series was a seven-course feast, with each course dedicated to one of the seven deadly sins. Guests were invited to come dressed as their favorite sin, and the 7 party favors included a hand-stamped fork (“Gluttony”), a hand-stamped knife (“Wrath”), pocket mirrors (“Pride”), and hand-stamped money clips (“Greed”).

Despite the morbid themes, crafting the dinner parties down to the last detail - from the ambiance and decor, to the menu and its wine or cocktail pairings, to the hand-crafted party favors - offered Char an opportunity to flex her creativity during a time when her startup responsibilities were burning her out. And the guests had fun too!