BLOG ABOUT TOWN: The Family Dinner

So I was invited by a good friend of mine to something he referred to as "The Family Dinner". Now I like to consider myself as someone in-the-know but if I'm being completely honest I just assumed I was showing up to take pictures of a family gathering of his. I had no idea what it was. I never even intended to be writing the blog that you're reading now, I was just doing a good friend a favor. Not to mention it was being held at The Island Spot which is owned by a mutual friend of us both. And lets be honest after all, do you really need a reason to go eat some good jerk chicken and plantains?! I think not! But What I encountered was much more than I expected. What I walked in on was this network of young professional men and women who came there merely to meet one another, connect with each other and fellowship over a good meal. Founded in New York in 2008, the community-based family dinner tradition now hosts thousands of the nation's most influential, passionate and diverse young adults, over family style dinners twice a year in each city across the country. They're now in New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Miami, Austin and growing.
 We all know that Dallas has the penchant for bringing out the same individuals to the same social gatherings and while I always run into a few people I know I was pleasantly surprised to meet some new faces. Some faces that came from as far as Houston. The really refreshing thing about this experience was that it was really about genuinely connecting. Not to talk about what degree you had, what firm you worked at, or to try to pick up a member of the opposite sex. Now I would be remiss if I didn't mention how attractive the crowd was and that certainly didn't hurt things but it went much further than that. All pretentiousness was left at the door and people got a chance to eat great food and truly engage with one another. It's good to know that Dallas is now part of the "The Family".