apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

How many people would participate in something like this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/dining/07hebb.html?ex=1195102800&en=9809d80620bfcc6f&ei=5070&emc=eta1

I may be jaded because I live in Napoli,Italia but I wasn't too impressed. You can get fried pizzas like that on the streets here and it is something you eat when you can't go/don't have time to grab a real pizza. Usually they are too oily and taste kind of stale.
JetSetBaby
2ciaos

art,
Apparently there is a big underground dining scene in the bay area (mostly sf, oakland, and berkeley) for those advant garde, serious foodies who find the above-ground restaurant scene too benign. I read a big article about it like a year ago, but that's about as close as this non-hipster will ever get to such a gathering! The article made it sound fairly clandestine and exclusive. And, although I appreciate good food, I can't say that my palate is terribly sophisticated, and thus I am not drawn to experimental food, as I like to call it (see the NYT article about chefs as chemists). I'll take conversation with a few friends over a bowl of macaroni and cheese at The Blue Plate any day!

pizza fritta sounds like Navajo frybread.

ditto that squiggle. only the the crust would be fried in lard and instead of tomatoes there would be canned refried beans and government cheese in place of mozzarella.

J, I like to think something like this could be done without having to hit people over the head with scientific gastronomy. I like the idea of exclusivity in the sense that people would be part of something, like a club if you wanted to call it that. But it would be open to anyone. I think this would make everyone who attends feel very special. No worries about a rude maitre de, condescending waiter, sitting by the bathroom, etc.

I often make homemade pizza dough and when I don't feel like turning on the oven, I will heat up my heavy cast iron frying pan, and cook the dough in that. You have to cook both sides with oil, and it's almost like naan bread.
If you cook, and you are up to something different, try it.

I'm in Portland, and supper clubs in private homes are nearly as bountiful as Bartlett pears in October. Incredible experience, though the fellow in the Times article linked above has left a ring of bad taste in his wake.

The supper clubs are around in NYC too - not cutting edge cuisine as far as I know, just underground. Most I've heard of are vegan or some other strain of vegetarian.

krister,

I was shocked to discover that the article was about the Gotham guy.

It seems like it was only a year ago that I took note of that restaurant and group for inspiration.

Unfortunately, these stories are too common in the restaurant industry. I feel particularly bad for the small producers/vendors that will never see their money.

But on the plus side, it sounds like everyone else, (Le Pigeon, etc.) involved with that venture has gone on to do some great things in Portland. This has added to my desire to come and visit even more. I haven't been to the Pacific NW so I'd love to see Portland, Seattle, Vancouver.

Art, one and the same guy! But you should make a pilgrimage to Portland---if you like food, coffee, eau de vie, beer, and more.