Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Private Dining

Food snobs have been around about as long as food itself. The minute someone found a turnip that was fresher than that which was floating around in his or her stew, a new snob was born.

In that vein, the culinary collective or private supper club too was born. But don't mistake the simple title for simple food. These clubs (which exist in almost every nook and cranny of the country) were created for culinary elite and their over-satiated palates only. No simpletons allowed. Entry requires a password, a bottle of wine (most of the time) and your checkbook (a plate can run you $150 to $200 at some clubs). Studiofeast asks interested diners a series of questions, including what your last meal would be before you die, to weed out the aforementioned simpletons. How very death penalty warden of them.

The clubs began popping up about three or four years ago and were first based on the principle that without having to drop the cash on the ins and out of running a restaurant, hosts would be able to take culinary chances on menu items, chefs, and ingredients. Without the fear of losing their culinary clientele, it was thought that the food would reign supreme. But, with new clubs popping up every week, they have also become favorites of the localvore/green foodie revolution. My arugula is more local than yours!

And if you are wondering why the local health boards don't launch a SWAT operation to shut the clubs down, it's mainly because they can't find them. The passwords provide some protection, as do the treasure maps some groups employ that don't reveal the final address until the very last moment. In a you-can't-catch-us-if-you-can't-find-us sort of way, the clubs seem to protect themselves. But even so, a couple quoted in a Newsweek story on the same topic refused to give up their last names in fear of being nabbed for the illegal operation. 

Jeremy Townsend, who founded Ghetto Gourmet more than four years ago out of Oakland, Calif., says that many clubs also dodge the feds because their affairs are invite-only and ask patrons to "chip in" to help with the cost of ingredients, not to pay for the meal. Making diners bring their own booze helps to keep the liquor board away, too.

Culinary collectives now appear to be a full-blown movement (see ya soon to pass trend) with no signs of slowing anytime soon. And in a way, it makes sense. With the price of food jumping nearly everyday, why not find a way to eat, mingle and stuff yourself while cutting a few monetary corners? And as long as there are cooks willing to stretch their culinary muscles in the underground kitchens of America, there will be foodies waiting to gorge. 

To find a local club in your area, Townsend's theghet.com features listings of a number of California-centric clubs as well as those beyond the Golden State. A Google search of "underground dining" in your respective city never hurt anyone either.

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