I’m seeing the term ‘supper club’ used more frequently than ever before and I’m not sure if it’s jealousy at not being a part of the club but it’s starting to royally piss me off. What the fuck are they? Where did they come from? Is it like Fight Club? Or The Masons? Should I be even writing this?
After Googling, I’m none the wiser. Multiple definitions came up as I trawled the internet and all of them (sort of) linked but were still so far apart. One website says a supper club is “known as "pop-up" restaurant or "underground dining", they are essentially part-time restaurants, that are often held in people's homes or other, sometimes temporary, venues that are not normally used as a restaurant” and another says it’s a “cross between a dinner party and a restaurant serving high-end cuisine without the luxury.” In other words, they seem to be a bit of a pretentious fad. Again, I might just be jealous I’m not involved.
I dived a bit deeper. It seems that they’re structured in a certain way, and depending on who you ask, each person in the supper club contributes to the meal. Or, if you’re in a different school of thought, the chef does it all and provides a tasting-style menu. It’s an orchestrated event, often seen as a time to build bonds with strangers through food, which is a concept I actually adore.
As I keep reading, some things start to clear up. The concept at its core is to have a group of people sitting together, eating, laughing, and having fun - no matter if it’s at home, in a restaurant or “underground” as one quote puts it. What they are good for is bringing the chef closer to the diner, opening up that transparency and direct communication between artist and indulger.
I concluded that my attitude towards a Supper Club could be defined as ‘intrigued, but wary’. From my, albeit surface level, research, I got ‘pretentious’. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, though, I can imagine they’d be great fun to be involved with (restaurant and chef dependent). Maybe I’ll get to attend one soon.