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Studiofeast: The Culinary Underworld

Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Ahh! The thrill of sneaking off to eat somewhere hush-hush. You gotta love it.

I had the pleasure to meet with fellow bloggers Ann and Jack of Redacted Recipes and their friend Michael this past Saturday for an exciting visit to Studiofeast. Thanks for the invitation guys, i had a blast… and a serious hangover the next day. It was worth it!

Now, I’m telling you this at the risk of being abducted by Ninja chefs trying to keep me from revealing the secret but what the heck… i’m taking the chance anyway. Studiofeast is an underground super club that operates from an undisclosed location in Brooklyn. It features innovative food prepared by wicked chefs in the most convivial atmosphere you can imagine – and with free-flowing wine and shared tables, it’s really a lot of fun.

If you crave a culinary adventure and decide to check it out, follow the link to their website and begin the excruciating screening process (ok, not really). If you’re one of the lucky ones and receive an invitation to join the party, expect shadows in the night and delicious smells to guide you through dark alleys and narrow staircases to your secret destination. Don’t we all dream to live a little dangerously sometimes? If you don’t live in New York and want to experience the fun go to ‘Kill the restaurant‘ for a listing of hidden kitchens across the country.

The Zen-man snapped by Jack

I will let Ann over at Redacted recipes do a detailed account of the evening since she has a much higher tolerance to alcohol than i do 😉 and therefore – a clearer memory. You can also click here to read about what an underground party is like, or to look at some cool photographs from the previous event when Ilan Hall (a winner on Top Chef) was doing the cooking, click here. I have to tell you about one thing though… Have you noticed the spit-roasted goat on the menu?


Well, I was intrigued from the moment i read the words ‘spit-roasted’. How could you possibly cook a spit-roasted goat in the underworld? How do you pull it off and where? My questions got answered quickly when the friendly host took us – not to Lucifer’s den but… to the rooftop. Yes… the renegades dared to spit-roast a whole freaking goat on a Brooklyn rooftop with views on Manhattan and with aerial subways passing nearby. That’s chef’s gone wild to its finest my friends and i must say, i was impressed. And you bet it was delicious!

Secret restaurants have long been popular overseas. Some of Hong Kong’s most innovative food can be sampled at hidden spots in private homes or office buildings so it’s not surprising the trend is spreading quickly in the U.S. Part of the thrill of underground dining is the hipness factor and the so-called ‘danger’ of eating adventurously. Of course the zen-man loves the whole rebellious aspect but it’s not only that, it is an exciting experience both for creative chefs who want to show off their skills and diners seeking a unique experience. So let’s cheer the renegades and long live the underground restaurant!

And special thanks to Jack for sharing the pictures since i forgot to bring my camera. Hey, at least i didn’t forget the wine!

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Thursday, April 17th, 2008 Uncategorized
  • Manggy

    Thanks for sharing your adventure Zenman! I hope Ann puts up pictures of the food :p I’m glad you had a nice time.. It sounds a little freaky to be navigating alleys at night in a big city but I guess that’s what company is for :)

  • waliz

    zen..u put on weight! or maybe the camera tricked me!

  • Elle

    I love it! And this clearly shows that I need to get out more. 😉 The menu sounds amazing!

  • Brilynn

    That sounds like so much fun, I’m very jealous!

  • Peter M

    Ahhh, looks like I wasn’t the only one meeting fellow bloggers.

    Anyone else for drinks?

  • glamah16

    I have head of these. Im going to rope my CS into this . Thanks for the links. It seems to be a blogger meet up week.

  • Cindy. Lo.

    Wow,
    I can feel my blood’s burning now,
    I have to find something like this in LA, the whole experience sounds just amazing,
    And I’m so down to eat every thing they make, FEED me!

  • foodhuntress79

    Wow, chefs gone wild to the fullest! The next Kubrick should make a film on this :)

  • cakebrain

    I’ve heard of underground restaurants…but haven’t been to one in Vancouver yet. That would be a cool dining adventure–great food, interesting company and a buzz from the adrenalin of eating on the sly.

  • Peter G

    This whole underground dining scene sounds fascinating. Roast goat on a roof top! Amazing! Better than James Bond!

  • Ann

    Are you saying I’m a lush? :-) And the “alleys” are actually streets, people. Sheesh! We had a great time– Zenman, you’re a doll!

  • Jack

    Great write-up, Zenman! We just, FINALLY, got around to posting our take on the event.

  • beachlover

    Underground restaurant in Brooklyn?.I know underground club in Village but never hear of restaurant in Brooklyn.Now this is an eyes opening for me!!.I used to lived in Brookyln.Let me guess it’s Slope Park or Brooklyn Height?.Lucky you got the invitation!!

  • Anali

    Such a cool event! I’ve heard about these secret restaurants more and more recently. That would be so fun to go to one, all cloak and dagger like. Maybe one day! ; )

  • Psychgrad

    Aww…I’m kind of jealous too. I want to go to secret underground parties featuring creative cuisine. I’m going to go read Jack’s and Ann’s take on the night.

  • b

    Wow… this sounds incredible. Thank you for the backstage pass to this underworld of cuisine! I love the idea of these secret/hidden dinner clubs. It is so underground and if done right, retains a sense of intimacy and comfort, rather than being about exclusivity. I would hardly consider myself a “foodie” by any means but I love this idea so much. I’m sure it would be made even more fun avec toi!! :)

  • Nicole

    Zen, you kill me! You are so funny. This actually looks really cool and fun to my former, younger self. I am so much in mommy-hood and suburbia now. But I still manage to down some red regularly. Thanks for visiting my blog from time to time. I feel like such a home-body compared to you.

  • Julie

    Very cool! But I’m surprised they let you take pictures…

    Of course, I went to that cool site and not a one in Atlanta. Why is that not surprising?

    xo
    J.

  • Cakespy

    I envy you this!! It sounds like such a fun time. I just went to a dinner here in Seattle, it was fun to meet people who write about food too! Of course, not many of the others drew anthropomorphic baked goods too. The menu sounds awesome, did you save me a doggie bag?

  • autumn

    yeah, it looks and sounds like you got a lot of fun. i haven’t heard underground restaurant/club before. sounds cool, too. =]

  • Jenny

    Sounds exciting. Glad you all had fun, sounds like some delish food, I’d love to sneak in the kitchen to watch the chefs in action.

  • Cynthia

    I have heard so much about these places! Lucky man!

  • Emiline

    Sounds like fun!
    And very tasty!

  • White On Rice Couple

    We’d love to be kidnapped and dragged to a uber private club like this. Force feed us with great food and wine? Surrdender!!
    Thanks for sharing the experience! Meeting food bloggers is such great fun. We met Jaden this week, what a blast she is!

  • Mochachocolata Rita

    “hidden restaurants”…sound cool. i’ve tried one (allez allez, tsim sha tsui, hong kong) and a friend tried another one in sheung wan commercial district…hmm they are surprisingly disappointing and we felt ripped off

  • AzAzura

    sounds like someone had a great night! I am starting to think that my shop is a a hidden gem or should I call it an underground one?
    x

  • taste memory

    that’s great~and in Brooklyn! the concept is intriguing because it’s so ‘anti’….wondering if this movement got started from Cuba’s paladares.

    Goat sounds great; would have been gutsy to have the whole goat face on the platter – i heard that’s a delicacy @ one of the islands in Caribbean. What fun!

  • Susan from Food Blogga

    You met Ann? How wonderful! Looking forward to her post now too.

  • Tartelette

    Hey! That’s my buddy Monica making the desserts! Cool!!
    *tap* *tap*…you forgot to pick me up…and I had cleaned up and all :)

  • We Are Never Full

    I’ve never felt so ‘out of the know’ in my life! I’ve read about these underground eating clubs in other countries and on the west coast… but not here! Thanks for filling me in. Looks totally fun. How much does it cost? This is very cool, I just signed up. Maybe I’ll get an invite. great post!

  • Flanboyant Eats

    so when can i come join you for one of these underground eat fests!!!

    sounds great…

    oh yeah, and i was def. visible at that market! LOL! okay, maybe not.