The dinner club with a twist
Making friends and building community over food is the core mission of Friends with Forks.
It is never just about the food, but about sharing meals together, being part of a community and creating sustainable and lasting connections with new friends.
Exclusive Events in private homes
Chef dinners, Wine tasting, gourmet pot lucks, crêpes parties, craft cocktail happy hours, sushi making parties, high tea and more!
Events in Restaurants
Premium private prix fixe dining. We take over the whole restaurant so we have the space to ourselves!
Join the Community
Be connected to each other and become part of the local and global Friends with Forks Community.
Grow with us
Get in on the ground floor and help build a membership that you love.
Locked in price
You are locked in at this low price as long as you stay an active member.
Say goodbye to eating alone!
With Friends with Forks, you will always find people to eat with.
The joy of sharing a meal
Whether you prefer to stay in your neighborhood or explore other areas, you can always reach out to other members and share a meal with them. No longer do you have to sit at the bar alone looking at your mobile phone.
Who is Friends with Forks for?
This is for you if you...
Are new to town and want to meet people
Want to try out that new restaurant on the corner but don't want to go by yourself
Are a foodie
Miss throwing dinner parties
Are hungry for some spicy conversation with like minded folk
Love being a part of building something amazing
Want to make a difference
Meet your Founder!
Laurel Chiten
Founder
Laurel Chiten was an award winning independent filmmaker for over 30 years (Blind Dog Films). She was also a foodie and lived in Manhattan.
One summer day in 2019, she walked into a restaurant around from where she lived, and had a vision of people in her neighborhood sitting around a table eating together.
That was it! The idea of Friends with Forks was born! She dropped her film career, made a 180 degree turn to make this dream come to life. It took off like a rocket.
But when the pandemic hit, Dinner Mates took a pause. During the pandemic Laurel moved to Portland ME and started up Friends with Forks again.
Friends with Forks was created to bring people together, to make a difference in our personal lives, and our world.
Our mission is: Break Bread, Make Friends, Build Community.
One meal at a time.
Here's some of what you get as a Member
Invitation to prix fixe event each month
Members are invited to a premium private dining events, sometimes in private homes or at a restaurant every month.
A taste of some of the events we have had so far: Broken Arrow in Portland, Rubys in Portland, Broad Arrow Farm in Bristol, Dara Bistro in Cumberland, Lucky Cruise and Lobster Company in Peaks (a cruise with a lobster bake), etc.
Host your own event!
As a member you can set up your own event in your home. Crêpe parties, high tea, craft cocktail making parties, and gourmet dinner parties. Anything you want to do around food gatherings, we will support. The sky is the limit.
Friends with Forks platform will do all the ticketing and the administration details for you. All you have to do is enjoy being a host.
Private Home Events
We have begun to add this new feature. Individuals in the community are now hosting Friends with Forks events in their homes. They can include live music, speakers, private chefs, murder mystery dinners, and more.
Access to the exclusive member site
Once you sign up as a member, you will be given access to the member only part of our website where you can purchase tickets, and learn about other activities and information. Site will be updated frequently.
Connect with the community via our private app
We are partnering with a company who has created a social app designed for building community engagement. Once you join you invited to create your own profile and easily connect with other members with similar interests, set up your own dining events, dialogue with each other about restaurants, food, shared topics, and more!
Create impact
Want to create foodie events to raise money for your favorite charity? Many events are set up to collect donations. Want to focus on discussing a particular topic or raise awareness about a cause? You can design your own small private events.
BONUS: Surprise pop up events!
Portland is a foodie town filled with great restaurants and eating activities. You just never know what exciting event might be added to the calendar at the last minute. Well... just for fun!
Special 1-month Free Trial!
Only $195/annual
Cancel any time before the free trial ends. After a month you'll be billed for the annual subscription
FAQ
Of course. You can easily cancel on the website any time during the 30 day trial.
At the end of your month trial, you will be automatically billed for a year.
No. Tickets to our events, which cover the prix fixe cost of the meals, are not included in the price of membership.
The cost of the meal is determined by the individual venues. All the money for the meals goes directly to the restaurant, chefs or hosts. Friends with Forks only takes a small admin and processing fee.
Once you sign up, you will be invited into the private membership site. You can manage your membership there, including cancellation, changing your password, address, etc.
Yes! You can always cancel, no questions asked. Your membership will automatically cancel when the year is over.
Of course! You are always welcome to rejoin, but the price might be higher.
No! Most people come alone and find it an inclusive atmosphere and easy to get into a lively conversation. The mission of Friends with Forks is to create a comfortable space for members to make new friends while sharing a meal.
Yes! Members are allowed to bring guests to our events, however, only members are able to purchase tickets to events. Guests cannot attend events unaccompanied by a member and guests must pay an additional surplus charge.
The ticket price for our restaurant and private chef range from around $55.00 to $90.00 depending on the event. Price includes all taxes and gratuity.
The price for the home hosted events is around $20.00-$50.00 depending on the event.
Sometimes the restaurants will include wine or cocktails pairing a separate add on. You can always order drinks as a separate fee paid directly to the restaurant.
No. You now have to be a member in good standing to sign up for any event. However, members are allowed to bring up to 2 people as their guests with an additional fee.
Great question! We are going to do our best to accommodate all members for the restaurant events. If we fill up quickly, we will try to add a second seating. Plus, we always have a waiting list if we get cancellations.
Every restaurant tries to accommodate dietary needs, but it depends on the restaurant. ie: If it is a seafood restaurant, it is hard to offer vegan options.
We partner with restaurants that are either 1) well-established and have garnered great press, 2) newly opened and we have tested them ourselves, or 3) come highly recommended by members!
We try to include a variety of different culinary styles, venues, and locations.