The dish:
Looking for the ultimate in foodie bragging rights? Eat a meal at a fleeting pop-up restaurant or score an elite invite to a supper club. Pop-up restaurants are a-few-nights-only events in borrowed space where a chef can show his or her stuff to adoring fans. Tony Adams’ pop-up, Kennebec, took over Thornton Park event/co-working space Urban ReThink for five nights, to sell-out crowds. Tony’s team was anxious to ramp up their food-truck recipes.
“Sometimes you want to serve good food on a plate instead of in a cardboard boat,” says Adams.
Supper clubs are more nostalgic, but they’re making a comeback, too, says restaurant critic Scott Joseph, who helms his own events. “Guests usually don’t know the location of the dinner until that day,” Joseph says. Past locales have included Quantum Leap Winery and Gary’s Seafood. The appeal of supper clubs goes beyond exclusivity; it’s a chance to witness the unexpected. “Our first supper club had Hari Pulapaka from Cress Restaurant in DeLand alongside Henry Salgado from Spanish River Grill in New Smyrna Beach. It was a chance to try the food from two excellent chefs at the same time in the same place,” says Joseph.
Go:
The Courtesy (114 N. Orange Ave., 407-450-2041; thecourtesybar.com)
The Woods (49 Orange Ave., 407-203-1114; thewoodsorlando.com)
Pharmacy (8060 Via Dellagio Way, 407-985-2972; thepharmacyorlando.com)
