It is intended to celebrate the space of bringing people together around food and friends.
It is a meeting of minds and sharing of hearts.
It turns strangers into friends and friends into family.

Eat. Gather. Connect.

Crowded House is a local pop up restaurant with a spin; hosting in a different home or backyard or alleyway each month. It is standing room only and just in the few months of the event’s existence they are drawing hundreds of people to each meal. If that isn’t enough, they also provide brief cooking instructions around the menu of the evening for a handful of interested participants.

I came upon Crowded House through a friend and just had to go and check it out. This idea was created by Mike Tong Pastor of Neighborhood Outreach at Bethlehem Baptist and Yia Vang, the church chef. They have discovered that food is the ultimate equalizer making this event non-offensive and incredibly successful at fostering community.

While Crowded House is intended to celebrate the space of bringing people together, it’s purpose is two fold:

1. Reach and connect young adults from the church.
2. Minneapolis folks can come and meet new people, foster relationships, connect with one another in building community, and network with a wide range of cultures, beliefs, and social positions.

 

What drew me to this idea was their private culinary lesson for a handful of guests before the restaurant opens with the Chef. As a cook, I loved getting a behind the scenes looks at how the meal was prepared. That night we feasted on “Southern Comfort Food with a Northwoods feel”. Cornmeal crusted Fried Chicken (I discovered the trick is double frying the chicken) with a bacon and honey sauce, triple cheese mac and cheese with sourdough pretzel crust, and smokey collard greens. I had to keep myself for going back for seconds it was that good!

With the bonfire lit, the tents set up outside, and the house glowing with candles, guests arrived to a heated outdoor coat check, and the smells of a heavenly dinner drawing them inside. The energy was electric, the stories flowed, the laughter rang loud and I watched the magic of the gathering unfold right before my eyes.

Crowded House has risen on principles that Gatherhaus holds dear to our hearts. Community, quality, authenticity, and intentionality. Oh, and enjoying what you do and making sure to have fun doing it. It was such a joy to discover that they are here in the Twin Cities.

Crowded house operates on an open door policy. What makes them a step above the rest in this new fad of pop up restaurants is an official RSVP is not required. The more people, the better.

To find out more about their next location and time, check out www.crowdedhousempls.com.

Thank you to the Crowded House team for allowing us into your sacred space for the night!  We can’t wait till the next one.

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Gatherhaus is the enchanting reality of bringing these rare and beautiful pieces together.
People, places, art, and food that inspire us and make us chase after dreams
of deep, rich community and fulfillment.