Lewis & Clark-themed dinner, dance set to benefit Red House

The Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Committee will offer an opportunity to eat, drink, be merry and dress like a pioneer if you like, all to benefit construction of the Red House in Cape Girardeau.

The Lewis & Clark Dinner and Colonial Ball will be held on Oct. 11. The cost of the dinner is $100 per person and includes a ticket to the ball. A ticket to the ball is $25.

The three-course dinner will be provided at the Cape Girardeau restaurant Celebrations by Request. Owner James Allen planned the menu and is donating the food and service.

It is a modern menu with "overtones of things that might be mentioned in the journals," said Southeast Missourian food columnist Tom Harte, who helped plan the event. He referred to the journals kept by members of the Corps of Discovery.

The salad will include baby field greens, smoked duck breast, dried cherries and walnuts with a vinaigrette dressing. The entrees will be a choice of smoked trout or venison medallions, both accompanied by vegetables.

"I did some research to see what game would have been available at the time," Allen said.

The dessert will be pain perdu with seasonal fruit compote and creme Chantilly. Allen compared pain perdu to French toast.

Theme dinners are fun for the restaurant to do, he said, "and it's for a good cause."

A different French wine will be served with salad, the main courses and dessert.

"These are wines of the type that might have been found in Thomas Jefferson's cellar," Harte said.

A quartet of classical musicians will play period music. The dinner will be limited to 25 tables. Dress is either 1803 costumes or black tie.

Becky Richey is in charge of the Colonial Ball, which will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Osage Community Centre. The dress at the ball will be casual. Music will be provided by the Cape Girardeau rock band Midlife Crisis.

She said the band will play music "from period pieces." The Osage Community Centre will be decorated with pumpkins, gourds and candles.

Hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Port Cape restaurant. There will be a cash bar.

Tickets for the ball will be available at Schnucks and C.P. McGinty Jewelers next month.

Proceeds from both events will be used to help purchase items for the Red House.

"We still need funding to finish it," said Jane Jackson, chairwoman of the city's Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Committee.

Any leftover proceeds will go to the city's parks and recreation foundation and will be earmarked for maintenance of the Red House. Interest from money in the foundation will be used to make future improvements, Jackson said.

To make reservations, phone Jane Jackson at 651-0028. Checks can be sent to the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Committee, 1221 Butler St., Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182