WHO
Megan and Frank Beidler
WHERE
Lake Forest, Illinois
PARTY PHILOSOPHY
"We divide and conquer. Frank and I own our respective menu assignments and don't meddle with each other's work."
Smoked Trout Dip with Toast Points, Nuts, and Dried Fruit
Sparkling Wine
Poached Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette
Pinot Gris
Braised Lamb Shanks with Olives, Lemon, and Tomatoes
Buttery Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts
Pinot Noir
The last place megan and frank beidler thought they'd settle down was in the same town where Frank grew up. That is, until they bought a house just down the street from his childhood home. Three generations of Frank Beidlers have lived in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it looked as if this Frank would be changing course—but then another Frank intervened. One night, the couple was out for a walk when Megan, an architect, stopped in her tracks, stared at the house in front of her, and said, "Is that a Frank Lloyd Wright?"
It was, and it was for sale. For Frank and Megan, it was love at first sight. Unlike many minimalist and modernist homes, this historic 1954 home feels warm and inviting—particularly during the holidays, when the couple hosts friends for Christmas Eve dinner. "We don't really need to decorate much; the house itself provides all the charm," Megan says. The whiskey tones of the original hutches and cabinetry reflect the Christmas tree lights to create a festive glow—but nothing is quite as inviting as the smell of the fireplace mixing with the aroma of the braised lamb shanks.
Before sitting down to dinner, the friends crowd around the bar sipping sparkling wine while mother-to-be Megan serves the dip made with Coleman Lake trout. Tonight's guests are an intimate group of three couples: next-door neighbors, family friends, and childhood pals—in fact, all the men at the party attended the same middle school while growing up in Lake Forest. Neighbors Sanjay and Kaditha Gandhi talk about plans to put in a vegetable garden in their backyard even though they fear Frank will sneak over and steal some of the produce once it's ripe—the Beidlers have a habit of walking down the street to Frank's parents' house to pick tomatoes, squash, radishes, and lettuce during warmer months.
But on this snowy evening, Frank and friend Carl Jenkins trek in from the frigid 12-degree weather with a batch of ash for the fireplace, freshly cut from the Beidlers' backyard. And their locavore leanings don't end at firewood. Megan has adopted Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy of using only local flora when decorating the table for a party. For this one, she has snipped evergreen branches and ash leaves and brought in acorns to use as design elements. "Megan has a real gift for making the house feel inviting," Frank says.
Traditional holiday music takes a backseat to a soundtrack by The Ditty Bops while the group sips Pinot Gris and enjoys the poached pear salad. As the meal progresses, so do the conversations. Meanwhile, the secret to the lamb (or "Frank's Shanks," as they're known) is being shared with a select number of guests. "I put molasses on them," Frank whispers to those seated nearby. By the time the custardy bread pudding is served, the group of young parents and parents-to-be are already looking forward to next year's celebration.