

The Rise of the Secret Supper Club - mhb
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/12/03/121203fa_fact_goodyear?currentPage=all

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

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benwerd
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.

~~~
oh_sigh
Nice buzz words!!

~~~
benwerd
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.

~~~
oh_sigh
You're right - I apologize. I am just getting a little tired of hearing the D
word 10 times a day in relation to anything that is not strictly normal.

~~~
benwerd
I'm with you, and I tend to agree with the Pando posts lately about
"disruption" and the malformed philosophies that tend to go along with it. I
didn't use it though, I promise!

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Xcelerate
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.

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

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bhntr3
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
> It's like eating art.

I'd rather eat food.

~~~
bhntr3
The best dessert I've ever eaten was both:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qofsdSMuGbg>

There's something extremely decadent about devouring something that beautiful
and meticulously crafted. Fine dining is as much about the experience it
creates as the food itself. It's not for everyone.

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wamatt
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.

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

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

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

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mechnik
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_...](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/03/21/110321fa_fact_goodyear)

