The Rise of the Secret Supper Club

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/12/03/121203fa_fact_goodyear?currentPage=all

by mhb • 14 years ago

75 21 14 years ago

Whenever I hear of an über-exclusive thing like this, whether it's a gathering, a club, a business, or whatever, I think how much better to be the one running it than to be someone trying to get in.

Craig Thornton is a talented, hard-working kid who probably wouldn't get seated at Spago if he walked in the front door a couple years ago, but by hacking his way into the dining scene, he's got celebrities trying to figure out how to get invited to his apartment.

The lesson is, don't worry about what other people think of you, find a way to make other people worry about what you think of them.

wallflower• 14 years ago

> Craig Thornton is a talented, hard-working kid

I think you're understating how successful of a chef he is. And being a successful chef is a lot about marketing.

mmastrac• 14 years ago

As is the case with software developers too (and probably most other fields).

oh_sigh3• 14 years ago

Is 30 years old still considered a kid?

rndmize• 14 years ago

They have some pictures of the food - http://wolvesmouth.com/blog

bhntr32• 14 years ago

Wow. His presentation is beautiful. I love the colors.

EDIT: More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolvesmouth

It's like eating art.

pavel_lishin• 14 years ago

> It's like eating art.

I'd rather eat food.

SiVal• 14 years ago

The art is beautiful, and it almost looks as if some of them have tiny bits of food included.

rayiner• 14 years ago

He could make 10x as much money in doing this in New York. We'd be all "ohhh, from LA? How exotic!"

benwerd3• 14 years ago

I read this the other day and completely fell in love. What a fantastic thing to be doing - but, as jaysonelliot says, from the perspective of the person doing the scene-hacking. It's worth noting that by the end of the article, he's opening a real restaurant. This was his way in.

Do what you love.

I wonder, though, if it could be done with something more accessible - hacking not into high end dining, but changing the idea of what a restaurant is for the folks who like good food but wouldn't think of trying to get a top-tier table, or paying for one.

Meanwhile, if you're hungry for more food obsession (and entrepreneurial obsession, to a lesser degree), the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi is worth a watch.

waterlesscloud• 14 years ago

You could maybe take a half-step with "underground catering". Cook for parties and such.

I know someone who has a bbq place in a small town, and he does catering with it. Most of it is bbq, but he's personally a foodie and he does some very adventurous high-end menus for special events. It's nothing he advertises, but if you know who to ask...

His is legit since he's a food business already, but it feels like there's room for a similar but underground vibe.

habosa• 14 years ago

Here's another vote for Jiro. Not the most exciting movie ever (or even in the top 100) but it's always inspiring to get an inside look at someone who has truly mastered his/her craft. The way Jiro speaks about sushi made me think I'll never really understand anything on that level (but it doesn't hurt to try).

oh_sigh3• 14 years ago

Nice buzz words!!

benwerd3• 14 years ago

Hey now. That's not very nice.

Here's an edit just for you. Better?

I read this the other day and completely fell in love. What a fantastic thing to be doing - but, as jaysonelliot says, from the perspective of the person running the unofficial restaurant. It's worth noting that by the end of the article, he's opening a real restaurant. This was his way in, and it was very effective, probably because his enjoyment of his work shone through.

I wonder, though, if the same trick could be repeated by creating an unofficial restaurant aimed at diners who like good food but wouldn't think of trying to get into a fancy restaurant, or paying for one. Could you arrive from outside the restaurant "scene" and make a name for yourself in the same way?

Meanwhile, the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi is on a related topic, and very good.

Xcelerate• 14 years ago

I think it's cool that there's people who like and enjoy this.

...but for me personally, this is just kind of weird. The dishes seem exotic just for the sake of being that way. The presentation reminds me of nouveau cuisine mixed with the results of an abstract art class, and I doubt the food would be very pleasing to my palate. It reminds me a lot of my literature classes in high school -- works that are odd, disturbing things that you had to have some magical "property" that others don't to really enjoy.

edwinnathaniel• 14 years ago

Reminds me of Chef Todd of Suite 12B in Vancouver.

http://chowtimes.com/2009/12/09/12b-underground-kitchen/

wamatt• 14 years ago

FTA: “He is obsessed with obscurity, which is why I love him,” James Skotchdopole, one of Quentin Tarantino’s producers and a frequent guest,says.

Many of those that entertain being "cool", cultivate an 'underground exclusivity and avoiding the mainstream' image. Of course this helps to create the mystique. I would argue that a genuine desire to be obscure, is perhaps not the main emotional driver, but rather being seen as cool is.

If that were not the case, participating in a New Yorker feature would be an epic obscurity fail.

mechnik• 14 years ago

I've really enjoyed Dana Goodyear's writing. Another New Yorker article I read recently is also by her, http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/03/21/110321fa_fact_...

The Rise of the Secret Supper Club

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