The Ghetto Gourmet

I don’t want to write this… but I’m gonna! I had the pleasure of finally getting to go to a Ghetto Gourmet dinner party last week. What’s the GG you ask?

The Ghetto Gourmet is an underground dining experience in the United States. Diners pay between $40 and $100 and are served a table d’hôte meal at a non-restaurant location. Douglas Adesko at Time magazine wrote: “Jeremy Townsend, the original Ghetto Gourmet, came up with the idea when his brother, a line cook, wanted to try some dishes. They started in their house in Oakland, California. Two years and one visit from a health inspector later, Townsend took his idea mobile, trying out chefs in other cities. ‘My ultimate dream is to tour the country like a rock band, except with dinner parties,’ he says.”

Photo by Vera Devera

And that’s just what they are currently doing. Based out of the San Francisco Bay area, they are currently traveling the country, from NYC to LA feeding eager gourmets in various people’s homes and having a great time doing it.

I’ve read so many great things about this group. From the many food blogs to the article in Time Magazine. I was so excited that I managed to get a ticket for one of their LA dinners the week they were in town.

The dinners also feature entertainers and performers from a variety of disciplines including comedians Ryan Stout and Rob Paravonian. Ghetto Gourmet’s original entertainment was Shinobi, Joe Townsend’s pet pitbull. A few months after founding Ghetto Gourmet, Joe and Jeremy Townsend threw “Pickled Citrus” and invited their talented friends, a visual artist and a jazz trio, to perform. Since then, performers, ranging from authors, fire-eaters, belly-dancers, blues guitarists and comedians have volunteered to perform for the Ghetto Gourmet’s audiences.

All of this always makes for a great crowd. You’re for sure going to make friends and have a great time.

I attended a Tuesday night event in LA, basically the same one but a different location (and different guests) as Caroline from Caroline on Crack did. We had the same menu so if you’re interested, check out her blog.

Photo by Vera Devera

I’m not going to beat around the bush. I was disappointed. I thought I was going to this cool, unpretentious underground dinner party. Instead I really felt kind of awkward the whole night. It seemed very pretentious. From the food to the people to the entertainment. It was like a yuppie fest. And it wasn’t just me, I brought a chef friend of mine and he felt the exact same way. Don’t get me wrong, it was a okay meal, not great, and the people at our table were okay, but nothing what I expected.

Would I ever do this again if I was going to have the same experience? No way in hell. I’d rather spend $45 in a real restaurant with good chefs that have proper tables. While I like meeting new interesting random people, these things need to be more than that.

But would I try it again? You bet. I am totally willing to give it a few more chances before I totally rule it out. I’ve read too many good things. How could you go wrong with this concept?

So if you’re interesting in trying the GG, they are having several events in the upcoming days in LA… March 23rd-28th. Check out their website for all the info and to buy tickets.

Oh… cool link. They had a photo booth set up at the GG I went to in LA, see them here on Flickr.

Read some more about the GG:

The Ghetto Gourmet’s Official Website: http://www.theghet.com/
FloridaFoodHound Blog
The GG on Wiki
LVHRD.org’s Review