2024 pop-up dinners preview

In July 2023, we launched a series of Sunday night pop-up dinners featuring gourmet meals from exotic destinations around the world. We are happy to announce that these special themed dinner parties will continue in 2024 with a brand new season of exciting new culinary adventures.

We're lucky that Champaign-Urbana is home to an amazing variety of restaurants serving a broad range of international cuisines. Despite this abundance, we’re still missing a few important culinary traditions. Our goal is to fill in that gap with unique dining experiences not typically available locally. Here's what we've planned so far for this upcoming year:

• February 11 - Valentine's Dinner in Napa: A romantic five-course gourmet meal with wine pairings for every course
• March 17 - An Evening in Český Krumlov: An authentic five-course traditional Czech meal with wine and beer pairings
• April 14 - Mumbai Street Food Tour: A guided survey of all the best eats available in this vibrant Indian city (Guest chef: Sirisha Bhandaru) 
• June 9 - Bullet Train to Kyoto: Another multi-course Japanese fantasy foodie safari with unique delights   
• July 7 - Royal Persian Feast: A fantasy banquet in ancient Persepolis featuring elaborate silk road- inspired dishes with exotic spices and potent flavors    
• August 4 - Paella Festival in Valencia: The ultimate Mediterranean feast centered around the national dish of Spain 
• September 15 - Oktoberfest in Munich: An authentic Bavarian feast (Guest chef: Brittany Heyen) 
• October 27 - Dias des Mortes Banquet: Scary eats strictly for die-hard foodies

Sorry, our February 11, 2024 pop-up dinner is already sold out, but we are now accepting reservations for the March and April events. Since we're only inviting 10 people, these themed dinner parties will be small intimate affairs where you can easily meet other like-minded foodies and make new friends. 

All of our pop-up events are all-inclusive prix fixe dinners. This means you get a multi-course dinner complete with wine and beer pairings all evening long for one fixed price. Unlike at restaurants, all taxes and tips are included as well. 

All our Sunday night dinners are private events in Downtown Urbana. Dinner starts at 6pm and they last about two hours. Seating is extremely limited and advanced booking is highly recommended. For more information about how to score a seat at these events, please join the popup_dinners_cu Facebook group, follow @popup_dinners_cu on Instagram, or subscribe to my email newsletter.

Gift certificates are also available for our pop-up events. The cost is $95 per person. Info: gift@cooking-with-paul.com)

More information about upcoming pop-up events and cooking classes can always be found at www.cooking-with-paul.com. For the latest news, feel free to subscribe to my monthly email newsletter.