Progressive Dinner offers unique dining experience
The McGregor Marquette Chamber of Commerce’s 15th annual Progressive Dinner will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, from 5-9 p.m.
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
For the 15th year, the McGregor-Marquette Chamber of Commerce’s Progressive Dinner will welcome visitors into local B&Bs and homes for an elegant, homemade meal. This year’s annual event will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, from 5 to 9 p.m.
The Progressive Dinner, which was modeled off similar events in other communities, was created as not only a winter fundraiser for the chamber, but also as a way to showcase Marquette’s and McGregor’s many B&Bs, noted Becky Johnson, owner of the Little Switzerland Inn and many times an event host.
“It’s always been around Valentine’s Day, so it’s like a sweetheart gift,” Johnson said. “All the B&Bs bring out their best china and linen table cloths and napkins. It’s a nice meal—not something you can go to a restaurant and eat.”
For the Progressive Dinner, Johnson explained, groups made up of six couples travel around the towns to the participating establishments or homes, enjoying a course of the meal at each stop. This year, participants will enjoy hors d’oeuvres at the Anne and Jerry Kruse home in McGregor and soup and salad at the Stauer House B&B, also in McGregor. The main course of mushroom and blue cheese beef tenderloin or jumbo shrimp with apricot sauce (served with two sides) will be offered at the Eagles Landing B&B in Marquette. Diners will then meet at the end, at Backwoods Bar and Grill in McGregor, for dessert.
While creating a menu and hosting visitors is a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun, Johnson said.
“First we decide who’s going to do what,” she said of the planning process. “The person with the main dish sets the tone for the whole meal. It’s all homemade. Everyone does such a good job.”
It’s also fun for the couples who participate, whether they know one another or become acquainted that night, Johnson shared.
“A lot of people are totally amazed at what we have to offer,” she said. “[The B&Bs] are all so different. It makes it fun for the guests. It’s just a really neat event.”
Progressive Dinner participants come from all over the region, said the chamber’s executive director, Patti Ruff. Some have attended for several years, traveling from as far away as Chicago, Kenosha and Madison. Many locals also take part.
“It’s a chance for locals to enjoy dinner and see properties around town,” Ruff said, noting that, when people live in the community, they don’t necessarily visit or stay at the B&Bs. “It’s an excellent opportunity.
For reservations, contact the McGregor-Marquette Chamber at (563) 873-2186 or (800) 896-0910. Tickets can also be purchased online, via Pay Pal, at www.mcgreg-marq.org.
