About every two months, Chef Michel Tersiguel posts two words—“Family Night!”—on Tersiguel’s Facebook page and waits for the crowds to descend upon his venerable Ellicott City restaurant. Guests pay $35 at the door for a three-course meal and wine then head to communal tables where they elect a “table captain” to retrieve the platters of food from the kitchen. “The captains get to see a working kitchen,” says Chef Michel. “It’s the good, bad and the ugly. Sometimes I yell at them to make it real!” At the most recent Family Night, 85 guests dined on house-made focaccia with various toppings, grilled sirloin with green beans and cauliflower puree and chocolate bread pudding. “Ours is a special occasion restaurant, so this is a different way for people to experience Tersiguel’s,” says the chef. “They come to party.” The next Family Night is March 1. When making a reservation, specify it’s for the family dinner. 8293 Main St., Ellicott City, 410-465-4004, http://www.tersiguels.com
