The Single Gourmet of South Florida

For the second consecutive year, The Single Gourmet of South Florida has been recognized  by the United States Commerce Association as the Best Singles Organization in South Florida.

The prestegious 2010 Best of South Florida Award has been presented to The Single Gourmet of South Florida because it has met or exceeded the criteria of the U.S.C.A.  Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category.  The 2010 U.S.C.A. Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity.  Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.  The Single Gourmet certainly has enhanced its positive image through service to their customers and community.

Awarded August 16th, 2010 by the U. S.  Commerce Association

WRPB – iTV

Hosted By Gabrielle St. Angelo

February 2010

On Thursday, February 4th, television and radio personality Gabrielle St. Angelo interviewed Barry Adelson of The Single Gourmet on her well known internet Television Show which has a following of well over 30,000 South Florida viewers.  They spoke on a variety of singles related subjects including how The Single Gourmet was recently chosen for the very prestigious “Best Singles Organization of South Florida Award” which is presented by the United States Commerce Association.  St. Angelo said that The Single Gourmet provides a tremendous service to the singles community.  They give singles the opportunity to meet quality singles in very safe upscale restaurants.

The Single Gourmet has been selected for the 2009 Best of South Florida Award in the Singles Organizations category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes local businesses throughout the country.  Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional success in their local community and business category.  These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category.  The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity.  Winners were determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington, D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America.  The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community.  Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commmerce and other business advertising and marketing groups.  Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE:  U.S. Commerce Association

Maybe you are looking for love in all the wrong places! 

South Florida Sun Times

By David Udoff

January 2009

Are you looking for love in all the wrong places and have not found those quality friends or someone special?  Then try The Single Gourmet for socializing and culinary fun.

The group meets at least once a week and savor’s the ambrosia moments at top notch gourmet restaurants around town.  The women dress to impress and the men wear fashionable threads.  This is a dress up dining group and not geared for individules who like jeans and flip flops looking for a hullabaloo or not your typical $10. buffet singles gaudy crowd.

Sex In The City character Carrie Bradshaw once said, I’m looking for “zsa zsa zu.”  It might as well be another episode of Andrew Zimmermern’s Bizzare Foods on the Travel Channel.  Most singles would rather spark up a loquacious conversation over food and wine than spend another evening watching television alone.  The Single Gourmet might prove to be your ticket to a circle of culinary friends.

This culinary social group can make your life easier because they have already scouted out the fine dining establishments in advance.  Barry Adelson, President, said, “We have events every single week with attendance from 50 to 200 people.  We are a membership dining out organization for singles and have been doing this for well over 20 years.  There are numerous chapters throughout the United States and Canada and a member can visit any one of the groups.  Our objective is to provide singles an opportunity to get together in a no hassle environment.”

Many feel that when you reach a certain age, finding your soul mate is next to impossible.  Let’s be realistic — what man or women likes to go to a nice restaurant by themselves.  The Single Gourmet offers sophisticated destinations for a nice quiet dinner with ambiance and a place where singles can socialize, relax and get to know each other.  And if you are lucky, the possibility of exchanging phone numbers is a bonus.  There have been many success stories from singles that have joing this particular group and subsequently got married.

Adelson added, “meet the people that you should be meeting in a non-threatening space.  Our events are always supervised, although individuals will not get the feeling they are being chaperoned.  We go to 4 or 5 star elegant restaurants.  We charge a yearly membership of only $99. and our members receive a monthly newsletter and calendar of events.”

The Single Gourmet enables singles the opportunity to enjoy the finest cuisine from world class chef’s.  There planned agenda includes weekly restaurant dinner events, wine tasting’s, cultural events and domestic and internation travel.  This adventurous gastronomical group has tried Continental, Frence, Japanese, Indian, Southwestern and many more tantslizing foods gauranteed to spice up your palate.

There are three chapters in South Florida; Broward County, Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County.  Some members are willing to drive an hour to an event while there are those who prefer a restaurant in a radius close to there home or office.

Adelson understands that people like there comfort zones.  He therefor organizes events in one of two ways.  There are events for all ages and another for specific ages.

It’s a great occasion to meet many people during the course of the evening while sitting down to a 4 or 5 course fine meal with those inclined to share delectable faire.  There is one set price for each event and each member pays in advance so there is not whipping out credit cards, embarrasment or haggling over the bill at the end of the dinner.  Wine, tax and gratuities are always included with the dinners.

Many singles know the pretentious bar scene or (meet market) where the individules buys a drink, puts on a persona and mingles. In five minutes, after checking out the scene, the faces look familiar and the cosmetic atmosphere becomes dense and superficial.

You are an upbeat person looking for more so try something new; the culinary experience just might prove to be a worthwhile social group to join.

For additional information, please contact The Single Gourmet, you will be glad you did …

Broward County  -  954-723-9608

Miami-Dade County  -  305-371-8717

Palm Beach County  -  561-276-2595

A perfect menu to meet single’s

By Janice Doyle (Editor)

December 2008 

It’s a Friday night in South Florida.  The look is a Little Italy New York style Italian Ristorante.  Live piano music is in the background, people are dancing and diners are enjoying the lively conversation and a wonderful dining experience.  But there is something different about this evening.

The menu for this evening is not the great Northern Italian cuisine the restaurant will be serving, although it is an important part.  The real menu is the variety of dining companions – men wearing jackets and ladies that are dressed up for a gala evening out.

Welcome to a dinner with around 100 singles attending a Single Goumet hosted evening at Primavera Ristorante.  Barry Adelson is the owner of The Single Gourmet which has groups in 27 locations across the country.

“Our purpose,” says Adelson, “is to get single people together in a no-hassle environment for an evening that includes fine dining.  We are not a $10. singles dance buffet crowd and we are not an expensive matchmaking service or an internet dating site”.

It all began over 20 years ago when Adelson and a female friend decided to have a dinner party to introduce his single friends to her single friends.  The group enjoyed a catered meal in a nice setting.  When they fininshed. Adelson thought, “this is a good idea.  I think I could make a business of this.”  And he has.

Here’s how it works.  Each member pays a $99. membership fee and receives a monthly newsletter and calendar of events with weekly options for socializing.  There may be wine tastings, dinners, cultural events and some travel noted in the calendar.  Adelson and his staff negotiate a group rate in Four or Five Star Restaurants.  Working with the chef, Adelson is able to offer Single Gourmet members a menu with lots of selections for four or five course meals.  Depending on the restaurant, members will spend $40. to $60. for a meal.  Final prices will include tax, tip and some wine.

A typical night with The Single Gourmet starts with the appetizer, a traditional social hour where members can unwind, have a cocktail and mingle with others that they may not be seated with.  The main course is the dinner portion of the evening, and that is where the real fun begins.  Many a friendship or love match has begun just by breaking bread with The Single Gourmet membership.  The dessert is what happens when someone asks for a phone number or a date after the dinner event ends.  And at every event, the menu will change, new courses are offered – you know, new people to meet.

“These are no jeans and sneakers events,” he said.  “The men must wear jackets and we tell the women to dress for the type of evening  they are going to participate in.”

Members must make reservations in advance.  They meet at the restaurant and are greeted by a host (Adelson himself or a staff member).  Participants have assigned seating by age and interest “so everyone always ends up within their comfort zone.”

How are the age groups broken down, I asked.  Adelson said, “We have all ages attending our functions.  We will assign the seating according to age and interest.  No matter your age – 20’s, 40’s, 60’s, 80’s – everyone will always be seated accordingly and comfortably.”  We have found that tables of 8 – 10 people in a particular age category to be an ideal mix.  By the way, some events are open events where all ages attend and some events are age specific events where only a specific age group attends.  In either case, everyone is seated in their own age-appropriate comfort zone.

There are three Single Gourmet chapter’s in the South Florida area including Broward county, Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade County.  Membership allows for attending events with Single Gourmet clubs other than just a member’s home area.  The Single Gourmet also services 24 areas outside of Florida as well, so if you are travelling you can use the organization on your visits as well.  Along with fine dining, The Single Gourmet also organizes trips, both domsetic and international.  This years end of the year celebration will be held on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  Now that’s a great way to bring in the New Year.

For additional information about The Single Gourmet, please call 954-723-9608 (Broward County Chapter), 561-276-2595 (Palm Beach County Chapter) or 305-371-8717 (Miami-Dade County Chapter).

The Single Gourmet brings singles of all ages together …

May 2008 

The idea of breaking bread with friends is as old as human history so it’s no surprise that the concept of Single Gourmet attracted Barry Adelson over 20 years ago.

He’s been successfully running the dining club for singles in South Florida ever since.  He explains, “Our objective is to get single people together in a no hassle environment that is completely different from the bar scene, singles dances and internet dating services.

Adelson says, “We sponsor at least one dinner event every week, as well as occasional wine tasting’s, cultural events, plays, travel and more spread throughout the month.  Every member receives a calendar of events each month.”

Typical of the restaurants offered are ones that have won the National Academy of Hospitality Sciences – Five Star Diamond Award and The De Rona Award which are only given to the outstanding restaurants.  Four and five course meals are served, usually with wine.

Adelson estimates “Anywhere from 40 to 140 members attend each event which allows us to get a group price rate.  Cost varies from place to place but usually runs between $45. to $59. and that includes tax and tip.  We usually sit at round tables of 10, and we group our members according to age and interest.  It works out amazingly well.”

Asked why people join, Adelson says, “The reasons are many.  We are all single.  Many of our members love to dine in fine restaurants but are reluctant to do so alone.  Others are looking to network in business. Still others are looking for love, new friends and finally just a change of scenery, conversation and faces.”

With a smile he adds, There have been romances, and over the years I have been to quite a few weddings.  Where new friends choose to take a relationship is up to them, not us.  We are strictly arranging a lovely dinner out.”

Pausing for a moment, Adelson said,  “It’s also true that we do meet a need, especially for people who find themselves suddenly single because of a death, divorce or relocation.  Several of our members were transferred here and were already members elsewhere.  They know from experience that this works.  Single Gourmet offers a safe, supervised setting to expand members’ social lives and make new friends.”

Frank minutello has been a member of Single Gourmet for over 2 1/2 years.  He says, “I’m a chef who almost never misses a dinner.  I enjoy the varied menu of foods and people.  I’ve met doctors, lawyers, teachers, insurance brokers, business owners, tech people and realtors.  Recently at a dinner in Coral Springs, I ate well and danced all night.  There was a good piano player / singer who played a lot of good dance music so many of us had fun dancing after dinner as well.”

A long time member, Barbara Tanzer calls Single Gourmet “a great place to network and make new friends. I met one of my closest friends at a dinner many years ago.  Another friend of ours picked up a new client at last week’s dinner out.  It’s a great club for friendships, business and yes, even love.”

Adelson says, “We offer a car service for members who do not like to drive at night.  Another plus is our link to 27 other Single Gourmet areas across the U.S. and Canada.  They extend privileges to our members when they travel, as we do for theirs.

For more information about The Single Gourmet, please call 954-723-9608 (Broward County Chapter), 561-276-2595 (Palm Beach County Chapter) or 305-371-8717 (Miami-Dade County Chapter).

New to dating scene?  Try Single Gourmet

December 2007

By Lisa Boliver 

The singles scene has never been easy to navigate, but thanks to one South Florida singles organization, finding the right person to spend time with doesn’t require going to a bar. 

The Single Gourmet is a dining out organization for singles with chapters nationwide and Canada, and according to the Broward County Chapter, about 2600 area singles meet on a regular basis to chat, dine and enjoy each other’s company in a non-threatening environment.  They have been doing so for two decades, said Barry Adelson, who founded the organization.  The yearly membership fee is $99. he said, and offers members five star dining and a chance to dress up and have camaraderie seldom found through other venues

“First off, the dating scene in South Florida is absolutely horrible,” he said.  “Where do they go?  The bars? Well, the rave right now is the Internet and I’ve heard the horror stories from our members about the Internet. “The bar scene is bad enough.  You don’t know the player’s without a score card and with the Internet you don’t know who you are dealing with.  People don’t give out personal information.  The disclaimers are scary.

“First off, the dating scene is absolutely horrible,” he said.  Where is there to go?  The Bars?  Well, the rave right now is the internet and I’ve heard the horror stories from our members about the internet.  You don’y know the players without a score card and with the internet you don’t know who you are dealing with.  People don’t give out personal information.  The disclaimers are scary.

“Not so with The Single Gourmet.  Although member’s backgrounds are not screened, Adelson said there is a controlled environment with a variety of fun things to do.  Dinner seating is done according to age and interest and the member’s ages range from the 20’s thru the 80’s.  We have periodic wine tastings, weekly restaurant dinner events, cultural events and some travel events.” Adelson said, adding that the group has taken many cruises together.

Not just anyone can attend.  The group keeps its rendezvous secret so that non-members can not crash the events.  Our’s is a member’s only organization,” Adelson said.

Barbara Tenzer has been a member off and on for about eight years.  She said that she first heard about the club in a newspaper and keeps coming back because of the quality of people she meets there.  “It’s a very nice social way to meet both men and women and I’ve met a lot of people that I have socialized with for years.  That and it’s very safe.  “I never feel like it’s a bar scene atmosphere,” Tenzer said.  “You don’t feel  like you are in a meat market.”  She also said the club is a great way to network professionally.

Tommy Younger joined the organization just a few months ago and said it allows him to enjoy himself in a way that he misses.  “In general it’s been enjoyable.  Good food, good wine and good conversation,” he said.  “If anything, I think people need to spen8 more time around the dinner table talking and you can’t do that in a club, so to speak.  That’s because it’s too loud and smokey.  Try to go to a club and have a conversation with someone.  It’s impossible.”  While he is not looking for a life partnerjust yet, he is looking for friendship.  “In my opinion, that’s where it starts out, with friendship,” Younger said.

He also likes the formal dining atmosphere found at the 4 and 5 Star restaurants the club members frequent.  “We are so casual here in South florida, but all the restaurants we go to are 4 – 5 Star restaurants, so jackets are required.  And when a jacket is required, it kind of sets the stage for something other than KFC,” Younger said.

Both Younger and Tenzer said they would recommend The Single Gourmet to other singles.  I’d recommend it to other ladies and men, absolutely,” Tenzer said.  (By the way, Ms. Tenzer has referred 27 men and women to The Single Gourmet over the years.)  “When you go to bars people get drunk and get obnoxious.  But not here.”

For additional information about The Single Gourmet, please call them at 954-723-9608 in Broward County or 561-276-2595 in Palm Beach County or 305-371-8717 in Miami-Dade County.

Dinner and fun with Single Gourmet

(Follow Up Story) 

January 2008 

Attendees at the recent Single Gourmet gathering at Christina Wan’s Restaurant had a great time. 

The Single Gourmet is a dining out organization for singles with chapter’s nationwide and in Canada, and according to Barry Adelson, of the Broward County chapter, about 2600 area singles meet on a regular basis to chat, dine and enjoy each other’s company in a non-threatening environment.

It’s a very nice social way to meet both men and women, and I have met a lot of women and men that I have socialized with for years now.  That and it’s very safe, I never feel like it’s a bar atmosphere,” member Barbara Tenzer said. “You never get the feeling that you are in a meat market.”

Enjoying the dinner at Christina Wan’s are, (in the first picture, left to right) Ron Rosenberg, Barbara Tenzer, Ray Williams and Sharon Blasius, who are all smiles as are Richard Ackerman and Rhonda Meloro (2nd picture, left to right).  (The third picture did not appear in this article but are actual members of The Single Gourmet.)

For information on how you can join the fun, call 954-723-9608 or visit www.singlegourmetflorida.com.

New to dating scene?  Try Single Gourmet

December 2007 

By Lisa Bolivar

The singles scene has never been easy to navigate, but thanks to one South Florida organization, finding the right person to spend time with doesn’t require going to a bar.

“Not so with The Single Gourmet.  Although member’s backgrounds are not screened, Adelson said there is a controlled environment with a variety of fun things to do.  Dinner seating is done according to age and interest and the member’s ages ranges from the 20’s thru the 80’s.“We have periodic wine tastings, weekly restaurant dinner events, cultural events and some travel events.”  Adelson said, adding that the group has taken many cruises together.

Tommy Younger joined the organization just a few months ago and said it allows him to enjoy himself in a way that he misses.  “In general it’s been enjoyable.  Good food, good wine and good conversation,” he said.  “If anything, I think people need to spend more time around the dinner table talking and you can’t do that in a club, so to speak.  That’s because it’s too loud and smokey.  Try to go to a club and have a conversation with someone.  It’s impossible.”  While he is not looking for a life partner just yet, he is looking for friendship.  “In my opinion, that’s where it starts out, with friendship,” Younger said.