Progressive Dinner, Mercer County Style

Last updated: August 30, 2021

Create your own progressive dinner tour right here in Mercer County! What is a progressive dinner, you ask? Imagine a potluck, but instead of doing it all in one place, you enjoy different courses of your meal at different people’s houses. It’s all about the social experience.

Our Mercer County progressive dinner works in a similar fashion, but instead of doing the cooking–and the dishes–you and your friends can let some of the area’s tastiest establishments do the heavy lifting. This leaves you more time to relax and enjoy each other’s company and try some foods you wouldn’t normally try in your own kitchen.

Appetizers

You’ve got to start off the evening with something to tantalize your palate, so we’ve assembled some delicious appetizers from across the county that will get your mouth watering and the conversation going.

  • Chicken Waffle Nachos at The Railyard – Maple syrup, sour cream, sriracha, cheddar, scallions.
  • Portuguese Hush Puppies from Patty Joe’s Restaurant – A twist on the Southern classic made with Portuguese sausage and jalapeno peppers and either Cajun mayo or butter.

Dinner

Let the conversation linger and take your time enjoying these satisfying signature entrees from a diverse collection of restaurants. In some instances, we’ve recommended drink pairings to enhance your dining experience. Please drink responsibly.

  • Custom Bison Burger from Buffalo Trail Restaurant – Build your burger the way you like it. Pairs with Big Timber IPA
  • Make-Your-Own “South of the Border” favorite at Campestre – Select two different items plus rice and beans. You can choose from Burrito, Cheese Quesadilla, Tamale, Chile Relleno, Taco, and Enchilada.
  • Chicken Shawarma at Moe’s Restaurant and Cafe – Delicious spiced chicken marinated and slow roasted served as a platter or in pitas.

Dessert

To cap off your progressive dinner, any one of these toothsome options, each created with care and attention to detail, should do you right.

  • Limoncello Cake from Geminelli’s Bistro – Three layers of white cake filled with tart lemon cream, frosted with lemon butter cream and topped with white chocolate curls. Pairs well with espresso or a cup of coffee.
  • Classic Banana Split from Lynne’s Drive-In – To quote a Yelp review: “Banana Split with nuts and cream! Totally tasted like it was made with love!!!.. I mean c’mon, who doesn’t LOVE a banana split?”
  • Root Beer Float from the Bramwell Soda Fountain and Corner Shop – Vanilla ice cream and root beer, enough said.

Probably the most difficult part of preparing for the Mercer County progressive dinner is the sheer amount of choices. The items we’ve listed are merely scratch the surface of the amazing array of options in our area. If you want to dig into more possibilities, visit our Local Flavor listings.

Another twist on the progressive dinner is to mix and match entrees and then share them among each other for a truly communal foodie experience. Let your dining experience be a shared adventure among friends because that’s what it’s all about after all. Bond over different toppings or dressing, pastas and pizzas, give over to the experience and before you know it, you’ll be surfing different menus and planning your next progressive dinner.