A Taste of Italy: Private Dinner Benefitting The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run

Join us for an unforgettable evening of food, heritage, and heart at a private home in Tryon, NC.

This exclusive four-course dinner, lovingly prepared and hosted by Roe Sprouls, will welcome just 10 guests around one shared table. Tickets are $125 per person, and all proceeds benefit The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run.

Roe is a retired English Professor, poet, Celtic harpist, and potter whose creative spirit extends beautifully into her kitchen. Her culinary roots span generations and continents — from Hungarian peasant comfort food learned at her grandmother’s side, to Italian dishes shaped by her mother’s Brooklyn upbringing, to the fresh, local traditions she embraces through her Irish heritage. Food, for Roe, is history, art, and hospitality woven together.

This evening’s theme is A Taste of Italy, served in Roe’s 1915 cottage in Tryon, originally built for artist Jean Stansbury Holden. Guests will dine together in this charming historic space for a thoughtfully curated four-course experience:

This dinner is vegetarian

Appetizer: Insalata Capresemarries some of the most notable ingredients in Italian cuisine including tomatoes, olive oil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. The first origin story for Caprese dates back to post-World War I Italy. A patriotic mason wanted to make a dish that was a true tribute to Italy and that visually incorporated the tricolor into the presentation.

I Primi: Pasta e Fagioli – The origins of pasta e fagioli are unclear, but the dish has been prepared in Italy for centuries. Some say it may have originated with Italian sailors who used beans and pasta to make a hearty stew while at sea. The American slang term “fazool” comes from the Sicilian or Neapolitan dialect for beans. The song “That’s Amore”, by Warren and Brooks (popularized by Dean Martin), includes the rhyme “When the stars make you drool, just like pasta fazool, that’s amore.” Pasta e fagioli was also among Dean Martin’s and Frank Sinatras’ favorite meals.

Insalata: Caesar Salad – romaine lettuce, garlic, olive oil, lemon, coddled egg, and parmesan star in this flavorful salad served table side.

I Secondi: Risotto ai Cavolfiori – Cauliflower appeared in the Mediterranean region and has been found on tables in Turkey and Italy since at least 600 B.C. Italians introduced it to France in the mid-16th century, where it became the rage at the court of Louis XIV. This dish’s partner, Risotto, became firmly established in northern Italy during the seventeenth century. The combined flavors are enhanced by the addition of roasted walnuts and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Fagiolini Aglio Olio – warm green beans with olive oil and garlic.

I Dolci: Pistachio Tiramisu – Tiramisu (“pick me up”) is a modern version of a dessert first created in Siena where it was called Zuppa del Duca (the Duke’s soup) Only recently the same dessert with the substitution of rich mascarpone cheese for the original custard has become popularly known as Tiramisu. Pistachio tiramisu retains all of the classic elements with the tasty addition of pistachio cream folded into the mascarpone. This adds both sweetness and nuttiness to the creamy layer. The whole thing is then topped with chopped pistachio nuts, adding textural contrast to the espresso-soaked sponge fingers below.

Homemade Limoncello.

Overmountain wine will be served, produced from grapes grown right here at Red Bell Run.

With only ten seats available, this evening promises meaningful conversation, cultural storytelling, and a shared commitment to supporting the rescued and special needs equines who call The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run home.

Reserve your seat at the table and be part of something beautifully intimate.