“Paris is always a good idea.” — Audrey Hepburn

Sometimes the best travel stories don’t require a passport.

Sometimes all you need is a fabulous group of friends.

That simple idea became the inspiration behind The Filling the Nest Flights of Fancy Supper Club, just another “more is more” and “why not” moment of my life.

While most of my time is spent designing extraordinary journeys around the world for my clients, I wanted to carve out time to create something closer to home that allowed my tribe to experience the spirit of those destinations together —one dinner, one story at a time.

The idea was pretty simple. Each gathering should celebrate a different place through its food, music, design, traditions, and the little details that make travel unforgettable.

It’s not about perfectly recreating a destination. It’s about capturing its feeling.

Every destination has a story.

Every story deserves a table.

And there was only one destination worthy of our inaugural chapter.

Paris.

And there was only one restaurant worthy of Paris.

Arnaud’s.

Why a Supper Club?

One of my favorite things about travel has always been what happens around the table.

It’s where strangers become friends. Where conversations linger long after dessert and after dinner drinks arrive. Where a destination reveals itself through flavors, traditions, and stories instead of landmarks alone.

Flights of Fancy Supper Club was born from that belief.

Every gathering is designed much like one of my client journeys.

There’s a story. A mood. A soundtrack. Layers of thoughtful details.

Occasional trivia games.

And always dancing.

Every menu is intentional. Every tablescape has a purpose.

Every playlist is created to transport guests before the first bite is ever served.

While the destination changes each time, the purpose remains the same:

To gather curious people who love discovering the world—even when we’re only traveling a few miles from home.

The Evening Begins

Before dinner, everyone gathered at our home for our signature First Toast, giving guests the chance to mingle, catch up, and ease into the evening before we headed downtown.

Rather than worrying about parking or designated drivers, we chartered a party bus for the night. It turned what could have been simple transportation into another part of the experience—laughing, visiting, and celebrating together before we had even arrived.

Sometimes the journey between destinations becomes part of the destination itself.

A Menu Worthy of Paris

If there is one thing Arnaud’s has mastered over more than a century, it’s the art of making every meal feel like an occasion.

For our inaugural Flights of Fancy dinner, the culinary team created an experience that celebrated the elegance of classic French cuisine while embracing the warmth and hospitality that has made Arnaud’s one of New Orleans’ most beloved dining institutions. Every course invited us to slow down, savor each bite, and enjoy the conversation between them—exactly as a Parisian evening should unfold.

Of course, there was never any question what would be in everyone’s glass.

The French 75—a cocktail born in Paris and forever linked to New Orleans through Arnaud’s legendary French 75 Bar—became our signature drink of the evening. Light, sparkling, and effortlessly elegant, it felt like the perfect way to toast the beginning of a new tradition.

And because every Flights of Fancy gathering deserves a little whimsy, Arnaud’s embraced our theme in the most memorable way.

To welcome everyone, servers arrived carrying their signature Frenchies & Frites flight trees—a playful presentation of crisp pommes frites paired with perfectly chilled French 75s. It was equal parts delicious and theatrical, with more than a few cameras appearing before anyone took their first sip.

The evening concluded with another delightful surprise: Digestrees. Served on elegant cocktail trees, guests enjoyed miniature espresso martinis, classic grasshoppers, and warm apple cider doughnuts—a sweet ending that kept everyone lingering around the table just a little longer.

It’s those thoughtful details that make Arnaud’s so much more than a restaurant. Every visit feels sophisticated without ever feeling stuffy, timeless without feeling formal, and celebratory without trying too hard.

Chef’s kiss hardly seems adequate.

Every Story Has a Soundtrack

If you’ve traveled – literally or vicariously – with Filling the Nest before, you already know that every journey has a playlist.

Flights of Fancy Supper Club is no different.

Music has an incredible way of transporting us, so each supper club gathering features a custom Spotify playlist inspired by the destination. For April in Paris, the soundtrack blended timeless French classics, jazz standards, café favorites, and a few modern surprises that perfectly matched the mood of the evening.

Long after the candles have burned low and the tables have been cleared, music has a way of bringing us right back to the moment.

Want to cue more?

VISIT THE SOUNDTRACK PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE OF OUR TRAVEL INSPIRED PLAYLISTS

Behind the Scenes

One of my favorite parts of planning any gathering happens long before guests ever arrive.

Every Flights of Fancy event begins with a vision board.

It’s where the colors, textures, florals, invitations, menus, playlists, and countless little details begin finding one another. Watching an idea slowly evolve into an experience that people will remember is every bit as rewarding as the evening itself.

For those who love entertaining as much as I do, I wanted to share a little peek behind the curtain—from the original inspiration board to the finishing touches that brought our Parisian evening to life.

CORDLESS LAMPS | EIFFEL TOWER CARDBOARD STANDEE | EIFFEL TOWER PLACECARD HOLDERS | SILVER PLATE CHARGERS | BLACK IRON GATE INVITATIONS | PINK GLASS VOTIVES | BATTERY VOTIVE CANDLES | EMBROIDERED NAPKINS

Of course a vision is only that without an incredible team behind the scenes, and I am forever grateful for mine! Thank you for never once saying NO:

• VENUE: Kaitlin Rodgers and Arnaud’s
• FLOWERS: Dunn & Sonnier
• EMBROIDERY: Vilcy Nelson – Specialties by V
• TABLE SETUP: Shantel Chapman
• TRANSPORTATION (CAR): Chapman’s Transportation
• TRANSPORTATION (BUS): Luxury Rides LLC

Until Next Time…

Flights of Fancy Supper Club was never meant to be a one-time dinner.

It’s an invitation to keep exploring the world together—one destination at a time – and I started it with an invite calendar of a year’s worth of themes.

Some evenings may take us to Italy. Others to Mexico, England, Greece, or somewhere we’ve never been before.

I can’t wait to see where our next story takes us.

So stay tuned🍽️🥂

In the meantime, be sure to ▶️ below for a video recap of our inaugural event…