There is this very cool thing happening in Vancouver. It involves food,  meeting new people, and getting out of your recurring routine. This very cool thing is called Social Bites, and Annika Reinhardt is the creative genius behind it. Oh, and not to mention the event planner, sponsorship coordinator, publicist, marketing manager, web designer, call center - basically she does it all and she’s awesome at it.

The premise behind Social Bites? Hobby chefs prepare their favourite savoury dish in their own kitchen. Each hobby chef welcomes four dinner guests in two “sittings”. The hobby chef spends about one hour with the first four guests, eating and mingling. Goodbyes are said and the next four guests are welcomed. Another exciting hour is spent with new friends before everyone heads off to the Social Bites Hot Spot location. Then the guests judge the dishes they ate, feedback is polled at the end of the evening, and the Social Bites Hobby Chef Award is presented to the hobby chef winner. Fun!

About Annika:
I love to entertain and cook. I hardly ever follow a recipe which maybe explains why baking is not my forté. I love sharing my food experiences with others because I find it inspiring. Having a great meal with great people is what I call “a perfect night out”. Since I eat a lot, I have to work out a lot, or at least I try to. I love running along the seawall, I snowboard, bike and recently started yoga.

Is there a certain food or dish that reminds you of home?
I was born and raised in Germany, about 2 ½ hours southwest of Berlin in a small village (+/- 700 people) called Reinsdorf. My mom is a great cook and the first dish she makes when I get home is Schnitzel. Very German, I know.

What is the ideal Annika meal?
I love to entertain; hence any meal that involves more people than just me is perfect. I actually like using a Raclette grill for dinner parties. It’s almost like a table BBQ with small pans used for melting Raclette cheese. I believe the French invented it, even though the Swiss will argue it was their idea. It’s great if you have 6-8 guests. The best part about it - it’s not that much work for the host as everything is cooked at the table and everyone can create their own meal.

Do you have a favourite spot for dining out?
I love Vijs. I am a total sucker for Indian food and I really like Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala who own the restaurant. Vikram actually speaks German as he studied hotel management in Austria. My new favourite dish at Vijs is the cricket bread with roasted crickets on the side.

Is there one food that gives you the heebie jeebies?
Fish used to give me the heebie jeebies. I had a fish phobia for the longest time. I could not look at fish, swim with fish and certainly did not eat fish. My mom said that when I was 4 years old I already requested that my food was made in a different pan than the one she used to fry fish in. I got over my phobia about 2 years ago on a trip to Belize. First time I really snorkeled with fish and we even caught a barracuda. The locals breaded our catch and grilled it, simple but absolutely delicious. Since then, I have tried all kinds of white fish, mussels, prawns, shrimp etc. I still can’t do Salmon or Sushi but I am hopeful that I’ll eventually get there.

Knowing you and the idea behind Social Bites, what is you advice to others who may be hosting an upcoming dinner party?
I have three tips. They might be obvious but sometimes we forget about them:

1. Know who is coming for dinner. Don’t serve fish if one of your friends has a fish phobia (I am speaking from experience here!).
2. Make your dinner party entertaining. A chat around the dinner table is great but try to spice it up a bit with some fun food trivia questions, a foodie gift, or a quick educational “food speech”. Your guests will appreciate it and new dinner conversations are guaranteed to come out of it.
3. Always say thank you. Call or send an email to your friends after your dinner party and thank them for coming. Often dinner guests bring drinks or dishes to a dinner party and there is nothing better for them than hearing their contributions were appreciated.

** Annika is always looking for hobby chefs ready to cook up a storm at one of her Social Bites Dinner Excursions around town. If you love food and want to show off your cooking skills, please send a note to annika@socialbites.ca for more information!