Secret Dinner Clubs: An Urban Experience
A trip from the 'Burbs into Chicago to dine with an unknown group of people, cooked by gourmet chefs, and served in their home. Mmmm!
My friend Kelly came to pick me up around 5.
"Do you think we can get there on time?" she asked. We were going to a dinner club in Ravenswood, on the north side of Chicago. The directions had said to come at 6:30. We arrived at 6:45...ahead of about half of the other people.
This dinner club had been on my list of things to do for several years. I had heard of such clubs in New York City...chefs from well-known, expensive restaurants serving dinners in their homes for a donation from the participants. To be a potential "guest" one must be on the secret list. The location is confidential until you are on the guest list for a specific night. The menu is sent out in advance, but you must be ready to RSVP quickly if you want a chance to go. I had tried several times, but learned that spots can fill in under an hour.
Kelly and I found the search for our destination to be part of the fun. "I wonder if this will be a house or an apartment," she said as we slipped along the icy sidewalk to the address we had been given. We found the address, but one of us had forgotten there was an apartment number so we had a moment of panic. "You what?" she asked in a high voice.
"Oh, look - it says right here for Dinner Club to press 2B," I answered in a relieved voice.
"OK," she answered, and the comments that may have followed blew away in the cold wind. She pressed the button, and the door buzzed.
We walked up the two flights of narrow stairs, and I wondered how the chefs had gotten all that food into the apartment for their dinner. I grumble about unloading groceries for six people from my garage into the attached kitchen. There are worse hardships, but clearly some effort must have been required.
Their shopping was also complicated. The chefs have rigorous standards, using organic and locally grown foods whenever possible. This translates to trips to a northern Indiana farm to pick up their meat, and multiple stops around Chicago to purchase the best ingredients for their dinners.
We were ushered into the apartment. In the small dining room a long narrow table was beautifully set. Fourteen chairs were squeezed together. Most people came in small groups, and ages ranged from about 20 to 63. Our seats were assigned as we came- "Why don't you and your friend sit here and here?" -to keep groups together. Everyone brought their own wine as instructed, although most people were willing to share. Some introductions were made, especially to those sitting around us.
We were a diverse group. Over half of us were first time guests. Kelly and I had come from a suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago, another couple from Barrington, and one man from Naperville. Others lived in various neighborhoods of the city. One man seemed to be a permanent fixture. He explained the dinners were not as good as had been touted, and we would be best off to just have him eat ours. He assured us he was there as a public service to the unwitting new diners. His stories entertained us all.
Eventually everyone settled into their seats. Each of the five courses was preceded by an explanation of why the chefs had chosen the food, where they had obtained the ingredients, and how they had combined the flavors. My plates went back empty.
As we bid goodnight to our fellow diners, I was surprised to find that over four hours had elapsed from the time we had pressed the buzzer to 2B. Kelly and I really enjoyed our unique experience...finding the unknown "secret" location, sharing a delicious meal with people whom we had never met, and being part of a network which values local, organic produce. While a fair donation is out of my price range for frequent dining, I will treat myself again sometime. As one of the veteran diners told us during the introductions, "If you enjoy good food and people, this is the place to be."
And we vowed never to tell about our secret dinner!
"Do you think we can get there on time?" she asked. We were going to a dinner club in Ravenswood, on the north side of Chicago. The directions had said to come at 6:30. We arrived at 6:45...ahead of about half of the other people.
This dinner club had been on my list of things to do for several years. I had heard of such clubs in New York City...chefs from well-known, expensive restaurants serving dinners in their homes for a donation from the participants. To be a potential "guest" one must be on the secret list. The location is confidential until you are on the guest list for a specific night. The menu is sent out in advance, but you must be ready to RSVP quickly if you want a chance to go. I had tried several times, but learned that spots can fill in under an hour.
Kelly and I found the search for our destination to be part of the fun. "I wonder if this will be a house or an apartment," she said as we slipped along the icy sidewalk to the address we had been given. We found the address, but one of us had forgotten there was an apartment number so we had a moment of panic. "You what?" she asked in a high voice.
"Oh, look - it says right here for Dinner Club to press 2B," I answered in a relieved voice.
"OK," she answered, and the comments that may have followed blew away in the cold wind. She pressed the button, and the door buzzed.
We walked up the two flights of narrow stairs, and I wondered how the chefs had gotten all that food into the apartment for their dinner. I grumble about unloading groceries for six people from my garage into the attached kitchen. There are worse hardships, but clearly some effort must have been required.
Their shopping was also complicated. The chefs have rigorous standards, using organic and locally grown foods whenever possible. This translates to trips to a northern Indiana farm to pick up their meat, and multiple stops around Chicago to purchase the best ingredients for their dinners.
We were ushered into the apartment. In the small dining room a long narrow table was beautifully set. Fourteen chairs were squeezed together. Most people came in small groups, and ages ranged from about 20 to 63. Our seats were assigned as we came- "Why don't you and your friend sit here and here?" -to keep groups together. Everyone brought their own wine as instructed, although most people were willing to share. Some introductions were made, especially to those sitting around us.
We were a diverse group. Over half of us were first time guests. Kelly and I had come from a suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago, another couple from Barrington, and one man from Naperville. Others lived in various neighborhoods of the city. One man seemed to be a permanent fixture. He explained the dinners were not as good as had been touted, and we would be best off to just have him eat ours. He assured us he was there as a public service to the unwitting new diners. His stories entertained us all.
Eventually everyone settled into their seats. Each of the five courses was preceded by an explanation of why the chefs had chosen the food, where they had obtained the ingredients, and how they had combined the flavors. My plates went back empty.
As we bid goodnight to our fellow diners, I was surprised to find that over four hours had elapsed from the time we had pressed the buzzer to 2B. Kelly and I really enjoyed our unique experience...finding the unknown "secret" location, sharing a delicious meal with people whom we had never met, and being part of a network which values local, organic produce. While a fair donation is out of my price range for frequent dining, I will treat myself again sometime. As one of the veteran diners told us during the introductions, "If you enjoy good food and people, this is the place to be."
And we vowed never to tell about our secret dinner!
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