A bit like the paladares of Cuba or the puertas cerradas (meaning literally ‘closed door’) of Buenos Aires, ‘home-restaurants’ are taking off in the UK, particularly in London. I was holidaying in the distant capital at the weekend and I had the good fortune to be invited to Secret Kitchen, a monthly restaurant run by North London mega-foodie (and author of Eat Slow Britain) Anna Colquhoun.
It was all flawlessly prepared and presented, and endlessly creative and surprising. There was pecorino cheese with unforgettable truffle honey, wild garlic pesto lasagne, home-cured salami, zesty homemade limoncello…
In short, it was all the things you always hope a meal at a fancy restaurant will be, but so very rarely is – because the chef’s got 100 other covers to deal with, the waitress has a hangover, the sous-chef only started yesterday…
As with almost everything, in cooking, quality is to be found in small quantities produced from scratch by passionate people – which is why this home-restaurant, and so many others, works.
Soooo, I’ve been thinking: someone really should start one in Cornwall. I think the concept would work well in these parts because: a) everyone’s skint and it’s cheaper than eating out at a restaurant (and bring your own); b) Cornwall is the foodiest county outside London right now, and has incredible produce, c) because this is a word of mouth thing, and everything in Cornwall operates word of mouth (or the things that matter anyway).
Right, so, anyone fancy it?
(I’d do it myself, you understand, but I get deeply stressed if I have to cook for more than four people – let alone 25.)
Find out more about Anna and Secret Kitchen at http://www.culinaryanthropologist.org
7 comments
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July 5, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Bob Croxford
I heard the Food programme today on R4 about popup restaurants. I found this site by googling the subject.
Great idea. How to find a core of people interested? Probably best to start a closed Yahoo Group and spread the word. Leave a few flyers around the specialist food shops and ask people to register.
It doesn’t have to be difficult. Many years ago we did shared communal meals in London. Buying and poaching a whole salmon for 12 people worked out surprisingly cheap compared to eating the same food in restaurants.
We are based in Helston.
Bob and Jenny Croxford
May 20, 2010 at 10:28 am
ismay atkins
Good points re pop-ups in Cornwall — but there might be more demand than we might first think, because you can bring you own, and so on. Will keep you posted – ditto, there’s no way I’m cooking, though happy to make the table look pretty! Mmm..
May 16, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Grazing Kate
I’m fascinated by pop-up restaurants too – have read a lot about them and if I’m ever in NYC, I’m definitely going to go to one if I can find one! Would love to visit one, but as you say, would be entirely scared to death of hosting one myself – cooking for 4-8 is fun and achievable – for 20 or more would be a whole different ball game. I have the space and wouldn’t mind someone doing one at my house, but I don’t want to cook.
Would it work in Devon or Cornwall? I’m not sure – it seems that they are generally found in huge urban centres where they have the right kind of culture for that kind of stuff (tons of young, social people, the transport and large amounts of people passing through.) I guess we have the tourists, but I’m not sure we have the basic population for it. I’ll certainly come along to one or have one in my house, but I ain’t cooking!
April 29, 2010 at 5:44 pm
davidtwilcock
Excellent, I think I might do one myself.
April 29, 2010 at 3:05 pm
davidtwilcock
So do the guests pay or is it a sort of gradiose dinner party?
April 29, 2010 at 3:17 pm
ismay atkins
Hi there
Yes it was a paying thing, just like a small restaurant really (but no tips or service or wine list). The London one was £25 for 4 courses, including aperitif cocktail plus digestifs. Oh and the other key difference is that you don’t get a private table, so not perhaps the place for courting couples.
April 28, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Jenny Davis
Wow, that sounds like an incredibly good idea. I’d be well in line to participate. Though it would be unlikely that our little two-bed terrace would be able to cope with more than 10 people I think… one for the future certainly. Nice one Miss Atkins. Carry on… :-) xx