Leap Year Fun
Friday 23 February 2024
83 Dalston Lane, London (map)
February is, of course, the shortest month of the year. This year, however, is a Leap Year, and we came together to celebrate the extra day in true Mike’s Table style. February is named after the Roman festival of cleansing and purification, ‘Februa.’ Don’t worry, we didn’t provide soap and towels but we did lay on a delicious, nutritious and highly enjoyable evening.
About the event
At Mike’s Table, we came together for our first event of the year with a Leap Year celebration; an evening of joy, wonderful conversations, and delicious food. Despite the dreary February weather outside, 83 Dalston Lane provided a sanctuary for guests travelling from across London, gathering around a shared table for an evening of community, wonderful conversation, and delicious food.
M and S arrived together, after braving a nightmare journey from South-West London, missing different bus connections on the way. However, they told us that the journey had been well worth it, as they were greeted with warm smiles and welcomed by the Mike’s Table team. For some of our guests, an evening at Mike’s Table was the first social environment they had been in some time. R expressed that the evening had given him the opportunity to reconnect with a mixture of strangers who were friends by the end of the evening. One guest, D, shared that he first attended an event at Mike’s Table in 2016, and has returned again and again since. Browsing through Mike's Table Instagram, he stumbled across a photo of himself at one of our first events. It was a nostalgic reminder of how much connection, community, and joy Mike’s Table has brought him over the years, and how comfortable he feels every time he attends.
A highlight of the evening was the raffle, which has become a tradition at Mike’s Table before dessert. This time, it was made even more special with the generous donation of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat.
Once again, our wonderful kitchen team crafted a delicious 3-course menu using fresh ingredients generously donated by our partners at City Harvest. Andi and Simon lead the team, with the helping hands of Louise, Pete, and Mala, who all pitched in to help with the chopping.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Leap Year Fun at Mike's Table!
The menu was creatively devised on the night by Andi, our head chef, using mostly surplus food kindly donated by City Harvest. The food is always within its used-by date and would otherwise be thrown away.
Menu
Welcome drink
Triennes Rose or Ruby Aperitif Mocktail
Starter:
Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup with Tahini and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Antipasti (Milano Salami, Parma Ham & Coppa), marinated Mozzarella with Hot Honey
Main:
Roast Spiced Vegetables with Jewelled Cous-Cous
BBQ Chicken Wings with Medley of Mediterranean Vegetables and Patatas Bravas
Dessert:
Victoria Plum Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream
The Team
Kitchen: Andi, Daniel, and Simon
Front of House: Mala, Pete, Meggie, and Louise
Our Partners
As ever, we couldn’t do it without you:
Room to Heal St Joseph’s Hospice Prisoners Aboard Carers Network
Many thanks to our Food & Drink Donators:
City Harvest Uncharted Wines
Kind words from our guests
“Mike’s Table has given me the opportunity to reconnect with a mixture of strangers who were friends by the end of the evening. I feel so very happy to be back in a social environment. Thank you for the wonderful food, the wonderful company, and the marvellous hostess and her team. Mike would be proud.”
“My visit to Mike’s Table tonight was very enjoyable. The journey was long from Fulham but it was so worth it. The greeting smiles, the service, the attention to details made us so welcome. Everyone has been so amazingly lovely and accommodating. The food was wonderful. The soup was not just nice… it was excellent!”
