Hello everyone, sorry to keep you waiting, but we are finally back! Happy 2012!

I’m sure change has been the resounding mantra in everyone’s New Years Resolution and we are no different! This year we are taking a different approach to what we do. The focus is all about the PEOPLE that make up the wonderful Dining Out for Life family. So we are sending out a call to arms. We believe that true power lies in the arms of the PEOPLE. We are asking all councilmen, volunteers, ASOs, corporate sponsors and definitely the restaurant owners themselves to do more than just offer an evening of Dining out for Life. We would like a bird’s-eye view of your participation with videos, pictures, and anything else you can get your hands on to help us promote this great cause. We need your contributions to make this blog a successful one, and we hope that you will answer our call and help us cater to you more effectively.

For people who have never heard about the Dining Out For Life organization, we organize an annual fundraising event throughout America and Canada. We ask popular restaurants around the city to donate some of their proceeds to their local AIDS service organization. Although an AIDS volunteer in Philadelphia began the initial movement, it has spread to nearly 60 cities in the US. We have made nearly $4 million a year for these esteemed local AIDS service organizations and we could not have done it without the support from the Dining Out for Life supporters who join us in the FIGHT every year.

This blog serves as a source of information and a platform for our community; so tell us: what do you want to know! Do you want restaurant reviews? AIDS volunteer alerts? Real life stories about the AIDS FIGHT? You are the controllers of this blog’s destiny. So don’t hesitate to get in contact with us and tell us what you want.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank our international sponsors and Subaru of America. It is with their support that we continue to make a difference for people across the nation.

We also depend on our community to raise awareness for our cause so please don’t forget to follow us on Twitter on @Dineout4life and like us on Facebook!

Put your thinking caps on and start sending your requests to help make DOFL2012 an even better and more successful year than 2011!

A Tale of 2 Cities: The Twin Cities

Today, the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Rochester have 164 restaurants to chose from to dine and wine at, with a portion of the day and night’s proceeds going towards The Aliveness Project. The “project” is actually a community center located in South Minneapolis and provides services and programs to the HIV/AIDS community. Last year, Dining Out for Life raised $161K in donations from restaurants, sponsors, and you, the individual diner. This year, the goal is $170K. And with restaurants donating up to 50%, this seems like goal that can be met!

Try Toast Wine Bar & Café for a great wine-and-cheese date night. The Minneapolis restaurant has a food menu that includes options like decadent thin crust pizzas, cheeses, olives, crostini, and more. The wine menu includes sake, reds and whites from Italy, Germany, France, Chile, Spain, Oregon, and Cali. And the dessert menu includes cookies, pies, and of course, dessert wines and after-dinner ports.

Or, try Cupcake. Located on University Avenue in Minneapolis, it’s the building with the giant blue coffee mug on the corner. The café menu includes breakfast all day with choices like quiche, granola, fruit, pastries, and eggs, plus lunch and dinner options. Cupcake also offers a carb of the day and fresh side of the day, and happy hours with discounts like $2 off a Panini or $1 off Espresso drinks. They also have a wide variety of affordable specialty cupcakes (like a June Cleaver cupcake), which would satisfy any sweet tooth.

The Windy City is Gearing up for Dining Out for Life

Dining Out for Life can finally do fun things like purchase lottery tickets, vote, and get a belly button piercing, as it celebrates its 18th year in Chicago, IL. Last year Chicagoans raised over $100,000 to continue the mission of providing housing and life services to adults and children living with HIV/AIDs. And this year, they’re aiming to raise $250,000. With over 100 restaurants participating, aiming high never tasted so good.

One option is Wilde Bar & Restaurant. Wilde, as in Oscar Wilde, lures visitors in with its combination of upscale ambiance with that of an Irish bar, right in the heart of the Lakeview neighborhood. Menu options include whiskey wings, Wilde macaroni and cheese, burgers, salads, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, rosemary roasted garlic chicken, and more. You can chose to dine and/or drink at an antique Brunswick bar, a leather booth, or by the fireplace in the grand library.

If dining with Oscar isn’t your thing, then you could dine at Ceres’ Table. Inspired by Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest, this restaurant is owned and operated by a Chicagan and Sicilian duo, who worked together to create a menu of fresh, seasonal, and traditional recipes. Some examples of entrées include arancini (fried risotto balls filled with meat, cheese, and/or veggies), goat cheese ravioli, gnocchi alla romana, and more. They also offer cocktails and dessert.

For the full 100+ list of participating restaurants in Chicago, go HERE!

ASK Kamloops what to do TODAY!

Nestled at two branches of the Thompson River and near the Kamloops Lake, Kamloops, BC is one of the most Western cities participating in Dining Out of Life 2011. By dining out at a participating restaurant TODAY, 25% of proceeds will go towards the AIDS Society of Kamloops (ASK), who is partnering with SOS Children’s Village in Mbabane, Swaizland (in Southern Africa) to help the children in this village. They’re even working towards building a media/social center for the children.

If you’re looking for to heat up your night, try Hot House. Self-proclaimed “Creators of Real Food”, this restaurant offers spicy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The breakfast options are always made with organic, free range eggs and are served with either organic hash browns or a salad. And dinner includes epic salads (when’s the last time you had seared garlic prawns on a salad?), tacos, chimichangas, and more.

Or, for a local menu, go to Bistro 326. Bistro 326 opened in 2005 and has since become a premier restaurant in the downtown core of Kamloops, B.C. The menu is seasonal with weekly dinner features and lunch specials that change daily, and the wine list is composed of varieties from local British Columbia wineries.

There are lots of other options in Kamloops, too. Check them out HERE!

The biggest city in the smallest state: Providence, Rhode Island

On April 28, 2011, the biggest city in the smallest state will be participating in the international event of Dining Out for Life. Participating restaurants will donate 25% of purchases to AIDS Project Rhode Island , which provides HIV/AIDS care and prevention services.

Restaurants all over Providence are participating. You can go Mexican at the Cactus Grille, Italian at Il Fornello, or American at Johnny Rockets.

Or, since you’re in the Ocean State, you can go for seafood. If you’re looking for fresh, fresh, fresh, try Matunuck Oyster Bar. Originating from the Ocean State Aqua Farm, Matunuck Oyster Bar offers dishes made from the freshest ingredients gathered from Rhode Island farmers, harvesters, and bakers’ products. The menu includes Rhode Island and New England clam chowder, calamari, fried whole belly clams, grilled swordfish, and more. And while you’re watching oysters being shucked right in front of you on April 28, know that 25% of the proceeds are going to the AIDS project.

Regardless of where you chow down for lunch or dinner, you can definitely stop by Three Sisters afterwards for coffee or ice cream. Voted “Best Ice Cream” by Rhode Island Monthly, Three Sisters has a menu that includes breakfast, salads, wraps, paninis, and club sandwiches. And their ice cream is homemade with the help of local cows, and is offered in classics like brownie sundaes, banana splits, and ice cream sandwiches.

The City of Roses: Portland, OR

Three cheers for three years! On Thursday, April 28, 2011, Portland, OR will be celebrating its third year of Dining Out for Life. Dining out at a participating restaurant means 20% to 30% of the bill will go directly to EMO’s HIV Day Center and The Partnership Project, both of which provide programs and services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the Portland region.

One participating restaurant is the Blue Monk. Whatever a makes a monk blue, it must have something to do with delicious dinner options and impressive beer selections. The Blue Monk’s dinner menu is offered from 5pm to 1am, perfect for people with who don’t do the usual 9 to 5. Described as “large portions of East Coast Italian food”, Monk offers spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm, vegan lasagna, and more. And beers like Chimay White and Franziskaner (the original Hefe-weizen recipe) are on tap.

Another option is The Original. The Original’s full name is The Original Dinerant, and has a menu inspired by American supper clubs of the 30s and 40s, and diners of the 50s. This restaurant offers all day dining. No really. All. Day. They have a breakfast menu, brunch menu, lunch menu, happy hour menu, dinner menu, and late night menu. They offer breakfast options like eggs benedict, pancakes, and omelets; lunch options like salads, an open-face turkey sandwich, and burgers; and dinner options like beef stroganoff, gnocchi, and scallop Rockefeller.

A Gift From Subaru To Our Dine Out For Life Family

We've got a SWEET REWARD for all those friends who participate in Dining Out For Life! A pile of chocolate! No, kidding...But we do have a reward...

Every person that makes a reservation at a participating restaurant, volunteers or donates time or money to their local Dining Out for Life charity - anyone who somehow participates - will be eligible to get an exclusive VIP Partner discount (up to $3,000 off the MSRP) on a new Subaru! VROOM-VROOM!

1) If someone participates in DOFL, call 610/397-0100 or email kristina@15minutesinc.com and request a Subaru VIP Program offer -or- visit HERE.

2)To shop for your shiny new Subaru and take advantage of the VIP savings, you will need an Authorized Dealer Visitation form. Get all the details HERE!

So, isn't that easy?

By being a sweet person, having some fun, and supporting your local Dining Out For Life event, you can get a nice little discount on your next Subaru vehicle! Isn't that fabu?