Chaine des Rotisseurs in Dubai!

You know how it is, you rummaging around in the kitchen for looking for dinner and you don't like your options - grilled cheese, pasta and pesto or maybe grilled chicken.  You think if only there was a society of people who understand my need for delicious, avant garde, and exotic foods...

It turns out they exist!  Last week our friends Sarah and Guy invited us as their guests to a very special meal with the Chaine des Rotisseurs, a international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950, but with a much longer history.  The name which literally means the brotherhood of the goose roasters, has an amazing story.

The written history of the guild of "Les Oyers" or "Goose Roasters" has been traced back to the year 1248. At that time King Louis IX, assigned the Provost of Paris, with the task of bringing order into the organization of trades and guilds, developing young apprentices and improving the technical knowledge of guild members. He gathered together the charters of more than 100 of these trades, among them the Goose Roasters.  Over the years, the activities and privileges of the Goose Roasters Guild were extended to preparing and selling all kinds of meat, including poultry and venison.  Go Goose Roasters!

In 1610, under King Louis XIII, the guild was granted a royal charter and its own coat of arms.
For over four centuries, the "Confrérie" or brotherhood of the Roasters cultivated and developed culinary art and high standards of professionalism and quality until the guild system was disbanded, together with all others, in 1793 during the French Revolution. The Rôtisseurs were almost forgotten until 1950 the Society was resurrected and created La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseur.

An invitation to dine with a society that's 763 years old after a French Revolution revival?  Just tell me what I have to do!  Matt was told to don a tux and escort me to the Cavalli Club at 8,check.

When we entered into the dining room we were transported to the magical world of Alice in Wonderland, with teapots and goldfish swimming in the center pieces and toadstools growing next to tables and Alice flitting between the diners.  The culinary specialist at Cavalli club urged us to approach the evening with all senses.

To start the menu actually engraved on the plate, nice touch!

Here's what we were to enjoy:

The officers of the Chaine opened with a toast to the founders of society and reminded us of the conversation rules for dinner: no religion, no politics, and no business.  You might ask, what is left?  Well, the star of the show is the food and wine, so there is a lot there is a lot to take in!  Here were a few of my favorites.

The spray bottle of orange essence to be enjoyed with the Duck.

Alice's surprise...

For dessert the Queen of Hearts, the grande finale!

Superb!