Ready to shake up your dinner routine? Clara Val and Jordan Matthews (of Monday’s) are teaming up to bring us Kelowna’s newest pop-up dinner series; The Mingle Meal.

The Mingle Meal will be popping up at rotating venues across Kelowna. Its mission? To bring people together over good food and drink, building real connections at the dinner table.

Clara grew up sharing food and good conversation around the table in Spain—that’s where her idea for The Mingle Meal comes from. And, after becoming a regular at Monday's Wine Bar, she realized that Jordan had the industry experience to help make the concept a reality, so she offered her a seat at the table.

The first mingle meal will be served at Salt & Brick on December 11th.

We had the opportunity to chat with Clara to find out more about what we can expect from Kelowna’s new pop-up dinner series.

1. Tell us about the concept. What inspired the dinner series?

Jordan and I wanted to build a dining experience to fit the community in Kelowna, creating an opportunity for people to have meaningful conversations and create connections, without the pressure of becoming best friends or going on a date every weekend.

Dinner with strangers is not a new concept - many big cities across the world have successfully hosted this type of gathering, reminding people that new experiences are refreshing and tend to align us back with our true selves. New cities, experiences, and people can be scary, but hopefully, in this mindful setting, it can be fun and empowering!

Sometimes you just need to be a tourist in your own city — and in a room full of people you may not know. 

2. Tell us about the food and drinks! We saw a little sneak peek of Terravista’s new Proyecto Terruño making its way onto the wine list!?

Our goal is to strike the interest of fellow epicureans, people who love to converse over good food and wine — so we focused on curating an intentional dining experience.

A three-course family-style menu will be set ahead of time, as we love the idea of not interrupting a fantastic conversation or using ordering as a 'small talk crutch'.

As you can tell, it is all about storytelling, so being able to showcase a unique local winery also fits the mold. Jordan and I are so excited to be able to offer our guests Terravista’s new sparkling albariño. Not only because this is a special pre-release but because it sheds light on the innovative pivoting our wineries are doing.

3. Can you give us any information on upcoming venues, how often you plan on hosting the dinners, etc? 

We plan to host a few dinners yearly— once every season. The idea is to rotate venues around town, ranging from restaurants to more unconventional spots. The beauty of this project lies in its endless avenues, but for now, we just want it to be approachable and contagious!

4. Favourite BC wine at the moment?

Clara: Martin's Lane Pinot Noir or Cedar Creek Pinot Noir.

Jordan: Ursa Major's "last days in the desert' Syrah or more recently Terravista's Syrah- two vast expressions.

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Grab tickets for the first dinner in the series, held on December 11th, 2024, at Salt & Brick in Kelowna.

Follow @theminglemeal on Instagram for more info.