Looking for dinner with a kick? Well, if you’re a local male, you may be in luck!
Every year since 1934, men have gathered at St. Anthony’s Lodge for the annual Amphibious Order of Frogs dinner, where women spend four days preparing frog legs, veal, chicken, salad and hot peppers to be served to some 1,000 men, along with all the beer they can drink.
In previous years, the frog legs were located for the grand feast in Baltimore, Md., but now are ordered from China.
This year, the party sets sail on Thursday night, August 5. Originated with five men living in the Johnsontown area of Downingtown, the locals used to fish and frog in the Brandywine Creek and freeze their catch in the only refrigerator in town. Deciding to save their catches for a small beer party in August, the picnic has been all about tradition ever since.
“It started as a small neighborhood picnic,” Jeffrey Valocchi said to the Daily Local at last year’s event. His father, Ben, is the oldest member in attendance in 2009.
“We have a very specific list,” he said.
Descendants of the original founders, as well as members of all of the local businesses and their offspring, have continued to attend each year. Friends are offered tickets, too.
It’s important to note that the most unique tradition of this affair is that the partakers of the meal are entirely men, most of whom boast Italian backgrounds. Though the oldest committee members show no discrimination, this invite-only party stays within families and businesses.
The minimum age to dine is 21 and, while there is no maximum age, most men agree that once they attend, they can’t stay away.
Will you be so lucky?
For more information about St. Anthony’s Lodge, with a location currently on Church Street in Downingtown, visit www.saintanthonyslodge.com.
