Heard it through the grapevine: Speakeasy Restaurants

by Ellen Slattery, Posted Mar 31st 2008 @ 2:00PM

This month, Good Magazine - which donates its readers' subscriptions to the nonprofit org of their choice - let us all in on a little secret. Actually, several little secrets. They're called "speakeasy restaurants," a catchy term for underground eateries and "supper clubs" that aren't sanctioned by their city's health departments and are frequented only by a small, specific clientele who are privy to the information. This usually occurs virally, because even posting about them online increases the chance that the speakeasies will be closed down.

These "restaurants" are primarily run out of people's homes, and actually aren't all about the food. Instead, the point of going to one is the people you'll meet and the comfortable atmosphere you'll enjoy. In fact, from the sound things, the only clandestine quality about these top-secret eateries is exactly that: the fact that they're operated in the shadows and that they are choosy about their diners. And except for a few suspect experiments in molecular gastronomy here and there, the get togethers sound relatively tame, and feature mainly traditional, home-cooked meals.

The difference? All the perks - great friends and fun times - and none of the downsides of owning a restaurant (taxes, building inspectors, strangers' whiny kids). (For all you Simpsons fans, it's kind of like when Moe went all avant-garde with his bar, alienating his regulars and prompting Homer to operate a bar out of his garage).

And though building inspectors and kitchen codes have their place - who wants to eat in a place with a dirty kitchens and no food safety standards? - I can definitely see the appeal of these secret spots and casual meet-ups (one of the profiled groups meets at rock clubs, and the trend is gaining momentum in several countries).

And like any good journalist, the Good Magazine writer outs several of these spots in cities across the U.S. If they sound interesting, go quickly! - they might be shut down soon.

Source

Filed Under: Magazines, Trends, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants
Tags: GOOD magazine, GoodMagazine, nonprofit, restaurant, secret, speakeasy

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-31-2008 @4:27PM krys said... So a speakeasy restaurant is...essentially a casual dinner party?
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3-31-2008 @4:47PM Kristi said... Hmmm... I think I've operated a speakeasy restaurant. You know, a bunch of friends get together for dinner...everyone pitches in a couple of bucks and we go shopping for food and then cook and serve. Kind of like a supper club or a potluck (except that everyone is bringing the same kind of green salad LOL). I even had a friend once refer to our house as his favorite restaurant.

I wonder at what point a casual dinner where everyone chips in for the food becomes a health code violation (and just how far one could push that sort of thing to make a little extra $ without breaking the law...)
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4-01-2008 @11:24AM RPMcMurphy said... Interesting! Wish NJ had a few!
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