The annual Belgian Beer Lunch put on by the Toronado took place on Sunday, April 5, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The “lunch” ran to 12 courses, paired with 20 beers (and countless mores used in cooking) and finished up at dinner time, a little after 5:00 p.m. The food was done, for the second year, by the Homebrew Chef, Sean Z. Paxton. I arrived a little early this year to take a peek into all the preparations that go into creating a twelve-course meal without a working kitchen. So here are a few behind-the-scenes photos before the blunch began.

An empty Tornado with place setting all ready for the Belgian Beer Lunch.

A single place setting, with a menu for the day’s lunch.

Betsy filling pitchers for the first beer to be poured.

The backroom, where you can still see streamers from my birthday party, was set up into a combination impromptu kitchen and prep room.

A portable stove heats a colorful dish.

With beer staged along one wall.

A pile of truffles waited to added to another dish.

Cheese plates, for course seven, waited on a long table.

So did course three.

And some bread to go with the cheese course.

Chef Sean Paxton adding the watercress to course two, assisted by Jesse Friedman, from Beer & Nosh.

Continue on to Part 2: The Belgian Beer Lunch