Photo by John Cray.
By DCist contributor Jordan Anthony-Brown
The growth of the dining scene in D.C. has left the city’s denizens with a (nearly) overwhelming number of options to try new food and seek out their next great meal. But this growth isn’t just limited to traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants, as there’s also been an increase in various pop-up experiences, supper clubs, and private dining facilitators. And while it’s sometimes hard to cut through the noise and rumors about what actually exists, there are a several real options for partaking in this type of dining experience. The pop-ups, supper clubs and facilitators highlighted below can help you step outside restaurants and enjoy a non-traditional dining experience.
Chez Le Commis: Evidently it’s incredibly difficult to snag a seat at Chez Le Commis, the supper club and pop-up dining experience helmed by Chef Tom Madrecki, who spent time staging at Noma in Copenhagen and Le Chateubriand in Paris. Madrecki runs the supper club primarily out of his one-bedroom apartment in Clarendon and typically only allows for approximately twelve seats per dinner, which occur with some regularity every few weeks to every couple of months. The chef has also hosted pop-ups at less clandestine locations such as Union Kitchen and the Dolcezza factory. The Chez Le Commis menu typically features creative and eclectic ingredients across six courses (such as a dessert course featuring popcorn, cheddar cheese and caramel), and includes wine pairings. According to the website, the next date for the dinner is November 17th with a location to be determined; join the mailing list to try and snag a seat.
Dinner Lab: Dinner Lab is, in some sense, a large-scale pop-up/dinner party. Originally launched in New Orleans in 2012, the “social dining experiment,” as the website calls it, brings together chefs in cities such as Austin, Atlanta, San Francisco and D.C., and provides them with blank canvases to craft their own menu in a unique location. These locations can vary and are commonly found in secret settings such as abandoned warehouses and parking lot rooftops. Dinner Lab itself seeks to target up-and-coming chefs and culinary minds in their respective cities, and provides them with an opportunity to have creative control over their own menu for an evening. Dinner Lab is membership-based, with membership giving diners access to the full Dinner Lab website, showing upcoming events happening across all markets. From there, you’re able to purchase tickets to any of the events; with a single membership you’re able to purchase event tickets for both yourself and a non-member guest for each event. Memberships in D.C. are currently listed at $175 annually, and the cost does not include tickets to individual events. Memberships are currently closed for D.C, but you can sign up on the waitlist if you’re interested in attending future Dinner Lab events.
Feastly: Feastly falls more in the “private dining” column, enabling food lovers and diners to attend private dinners in the homes of chefs and cooks around Washington D.C. Feastly was started in 2011 and seeks to bring authentic food into homes and private settings to be enjoyed by any and all. Dinners don’t necessarily consist of high-end food or tasting menus, as those featured on Feastly’s website range from professional chefs and cooks, to those that simply want to share old family recipes that have been honed and perfected over the years. Brunch. Ramen. Gnocchi. You name it, and chances are Feastly has a cook that seeks to make these items for you and some friends in their home. There’s no cost for any Feastly membership, as individual dinners and events carry their own prices, which are typically very reasonable. There are also occasional potluck dinners that hosts are looking to put together, which are free, minus the cost of whatever you bravely decide to bring. The Feastly platform is very easy to use, and features reviews and recommendations on would-be cooks and chefs.
Hush Supper Club: Hush is arguably the best-known supper club in D.C., thus also making it one of the most difficult at which to snag a seat. Hosted by a woman who goes by “Geeta,” Hush is a supper club in the U Street area that offers a set menu of vegetarian Indian dishes that are described as “sumptuous, fresh, and flavorful,” served over the course of several hours; and as the site indicates, guests often stay well past “Cinderella’s curfew.” While attending the dinner, you’ll get far more than just some delicious food, as the meal involves tales of the foods origins, the religious or cultural history of the food (the meal follows the religious food rules of the Jains), a tour of the typical Indian masala dabba (spice box), and a special tasting of raw ingredients. All meals are vegetarian, focusing on organic and local produce if at all possible. But don’t just expect to grab a seat and wait patiently for the date to arrive, as the reservation questionnaire requires would-be diners to share a picture, one hobby or interest, and at least one interesting story. Suggested minimum donations for Hush start at $95, payable by cash only.
Kitchen Surfing: Though not necessarily new to some cities, Kitchen Surfing launched in D.C. within the past couple of weeks. Similar to Feastly, Kitchen Surfing isn’t a supper club or pop-up dinner series, but instead seeks to connect would-be diners with cooks and chefs of all sorts, enabling you to host private dinners and events in your own home, as the chefs come to you. Hosts have the opportunity to hand-pick menus (and their respective chefs) for special occasions, dinner parties, or even just a casual, quite meal at home. The website also provides options for specific types of cuisine (ranging from American, to Mediterranean, to Middle Eastern), as well as menus designed for specific diets, including vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. Kitchen Surfing also features a review and rating system, so you can see some feedback on your potential chef before booking the meal. Another great way for you to create your own private dining experience without having to book directly with a restaurant or private event space.
Seasonal Pantry: Seasonal Pantry isn’t a particularly a big secret, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try and enjoy it. Located in Shaw’s Blagden Alley, Seasonal Pantry’s Supper Club is a 12-seat communal table that serves a set multi-course menu four nights a week. Focusing primarily on local ingredients, Chef Daniel O’Brien creates a simple, fresh menu on a weekly basis, with prices ranging from $130 to $160, depending on the menu being featured that week. To attend a dinner, tickets can be bought individually online, with a limit of six seats per purchase. While Seasonal Pantry has been popular for some time now, be sure to snag a seat soon if you’d care to. Chef O’Brien is planning to close the supper club and relocate to Washington, Va. (aka “Little Washington”) some time in 2015.
Thai X-Ing: Since opening in 2005, Thai X-Ing has somewhat crossed the threshold from “supper club” and moved more toward being a traditional restaurant, but it certainly doesn’t feel like one. As Tom Sietsema once said, it’s more like a “Thai speak-easy” as you descend a few steps and enter what looks more like a private residence than any type of restaurant. Once inside at Thai X-Ing, you’ll enjoy traditional Thai food and recipes from chef/owner Taw Vigsittaboot, passed down to him from his mother, aunt, and grandmother. The menu consists of five to seven courses of home-style Thai cooking, and the menu flexes between vegetarian, vegan, and non-vegetarian across the dinner’s open days of Tuesday through Sunday; the website also indicates that many food allergies and preferences can be accommodated if made known in advance. The original location on Florida Avenue no longer is BYOB, but the new spot on 9th Street is. Reservations are highly recommended, especially if you’re planning on dining with four or more people, but if you’re really looking to get the full experience, Thai X-Ing can be booked for private parties.
The Underground Kitchen: Originally based in Richmond, this pop-up supper club recently made its first appearance in D.C. last month. The pop-up dinners give members access to a multi-course dinner in an undisclosed location, with a secret chef. The website indicates that there are typically no more than 40 seats available per event, but anyone can register to receive the event invitation that is sent out a few days prior to dinner tickets going on sale. Ticket prices are all inclusive of the meal, wine, and gratuity, but vary by location and specific event. While the first D.C. event has already come and gone, there’s indication that the folks from Richmond plan to host another event here in the near future, so be sure to sign up for the UGK mailing list if you’re interested in attending.
