Cobaya | Gourmet Guinea Pigs

experiment #22 - 1/30/12

2012-01-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

Time for another experiment! Short notice!

Quick Details:
Date: Monday January 30, 2012
Price: $75 (inclusive of tax & tip)
Start time: Likely 7:30pm

No film crews this time we promise!

We will do a similar routine as the last several dinners, with a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

The rest of the drill is mostly the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Monday January 23 if the request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by Thursday January 26, or we may need to release them to the waitlist to ensure all spots are filled.

We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related
allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not
for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

experiment #21 - CobayAzul (a/k/a A.B.C. - Azul Bizarre Cobaya)

2011-12-14T23:46:00.001-05:00

Wow. Our chef for Experiment #21 was Joel Huff of Azul restaurant, and he did it right. My pictures from the dinner are in this CobayAzul flickr set, ~~will follow up shortly with some further thoughts~~ and my recap is now up at FFT. You can also read a recap from Chowfather, get a glimpse from inside the kitchen at sous chef Brad Kilgore's blog, "The Power of a Passion," and see another take on the dinner at "Tinkering with Dinner." I'm also adding, in a comment to this post, an insightful recap I received from one of our guests who is also a chef.

Many thanks to Chef Huff and all of his kitchen crew, as well as all the FOH folks at Azul who took great care of us throughout the night (Bread service? Napkins refolded when you leave your seat? Is this a Cobaya dinner?); thanks to our special guest Andrew Zimmern and all of his crew, who were very well behaved as party-crashers go; and thanks most of all, as always, to the guinea pigs who make these events possible, for your support, and for your tolerance for all the cameras and other distractions. If you're interested in more of a glimpse of the interesting things going on at Azul, I also encourage you to check out sous chef Brad Kilgore's blog, The Power of a Passion.

Our menu:

Uni Monstera Fruit Sorbet

Pumpkin Swordfish Tataki, Pickled Squash, Pumpkin Oil

Beetzanella, Beet Textures, Wisconsin Blue

Smoked Mediterranean Octopus, Cauliflower Vadouvan

Carnaroli Risotto, Chanterelles, Forest Floor

Turbot, Lemon Scented

Beef Duo, Snake River Farm Wagyu NY Strip Loin, 72-Hour Short Rib

Local Strawberries, Sesame Brittle Sable

experiment #21 - 12/13/11

2011-12-01T01:02:00.001-05:00

Time for another experiment! Short notice!

Quick Details:
Date: Tuesday December 13, 2011
Price: $105 (inclusive of tax & tip) with optional $45 beverage pairing
Start time: Likely 7:00pm

We will do a similar routine as the last several dinners, with a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

The rest of the drill is mostly the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let us know how many you're requesting (please use the "contact the underground" link on the right to email a request).

You will be advised by Monday December 5 if the request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by Thursday December 8 or we may need to release them to the waitlist to ensure all spots are filled.

We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Monday, December 12, 2011 confirming the location and other details.

Oh, one more thing: there may be cameras filming on site for this dinner, and diners may be asked to give a release. If you're in the witness protection program, this may not be the dinner to come to.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

experiment #20 - Cobaya Cabrera

2011-11-14T07:54:00.001-05:00

Number 20 is in the books. Chef Alberto Cabrera from The Local Craft Food & Drink in Coral Gables put together our first truly "underground" dinner, borrowing an underground cellar space from La Bottega in Coconut Grove for our November 10 dinner.

You can read recaps at Food For Thought and Blind Tastes, and see pictures from the dinner in this Cobaya Cabrera flickr set.

The menu for the evening:

The Vesper
Ridge Silver Tip Gin - Boyd & Blair Vodka - Lillet Blanc Apertif
Mixologist David Ortiz

Charcuterie
Pig's Head Terrine - Pickled Vegetables - Foie Gras Brioche - Mustards

Maine Sea Urchin
Corn Custard - Yuba - Compressed Melon - Ginger Flowers - Dashi Froth
Paul Cluvner Gewurztraminer, Elgin, South Africa 2010

Cured Foie Gras
Country Duck Ham - Frisee - Pickled Mango - Scarlet Beet Puree - Duck Fat Vinaigrette

Beef Heart
Broccoli - Farro - Shiso - Coriander Flowers - Gochugang
Neudorf Chardonnay, Nelson, New Zealand 2008

Matsutake Mushrooms
Pine Nut Risotto - Coconut Fondant - Shellfish Emulsion

Cuttlefish Linguini
Cotechino - Romesco - Almonds - Squid Ink

Squab
Dark Chocolate - Strawberries - Whipped Balsamic - Red Vein Sorrel
Chateau de St. Cosme Crozes Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France 2009

Pork Tenderloin
Crispy Shoulder - Anson Mills Grits Purée - Grapefruit Gel - Local Honeycomb
Marietta Cellars Angeline Cuvée, Alexander Valley, California 2007

Raspberry-Yuzu Sorbet
Creme Fraiche - Mexican Vanilla - Thyme
Moscato d'Asti, La Spinetta, Piedmont, Italy 2010

Peanut and Dark Chocolate Turron
White Chocolate - Grapefruit - Lavender

Many thanks to Chef Cabrera and his crew, to the great group in the kitchen and front of house who made everything possible, to La Bottega for allowing us to use their space, and as always, most of all to the guinea pigs who make these experiments possible.

experiment #20

2011-10-25T23:49:00.002-04:00

Time for another experiment!

Quick Details:
Date: Thursday November 10, 2011
Price: $79 (inclusive of tax & tip) with optional $20 beverage pairing
Start time: Likely 7:30pm

We will do a similar routine as the last several dinners, with a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

The rest of the drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats (use the "contact the underground" link on the right side of the page), and let us know how many you're requesting. You will be advised by Monday October 31 if the request has been confirmed.

We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on the Cobaya website. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Wednesday November 9, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

If you have received a confirmation of your request for a seat for the 11/10 Cobaya dinner, please book your seat request here:

(you can fix the number of seats after you "add to cart")

experiment #19 - CobayaJeremiah with Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog

2011-09-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

Another experiment completed, this one with Chef Jeremiah of the gastroPod. You can read a full recap here at Food For Thought and see pictures in this CobayaJeremiah flickr set. The menu:

Fernet Sour

Pickles (Beets with Rosewater Yogurt; Tempura Pickled Okra; Radishes with Ham Chips)

Eggplants Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Green Tomato Chips

Savory Churros with Chinese Sausage Cream

Squid and Pasta

Madeleines with Bone Marrow Butter

Chawan Mushi Carbonara

Sous Vide Endive with Candied Walnut

Uni with Whipped Benton's Ham Fat, Pickled Peach

Escolar with Charred Pickled Peach Gastrique, Bruleed Black Cherry Tomatoes

Lamb Belly with Cauliflower

Sweetbreads with Goat Butter Croutons

Brisket with Black Carrots

Café au Lait

Pistachio Sponge Cake, Lemon Cremeux, Green Apple Sorbet, Greek Yogurt

Petit Fours (Bacon Macarons, Green Apple Marshmallows, Dulce de Leche Crispies)

As always, many thanks to Chef Jeremiah and everyone else who chipped in, and as always to all the guinea pigs who makes these experiments possible.

cobaya experiment #19

2011-09-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

Quick Details:
Date: Sunday September 18, 2011.
Price: $~~95-100~~ 99pp (inclusive of tax & tip, ~~final price point to be determined soon~~).
Start time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm (more info below).

We'll be doing something different this time around, with staggered seatings every half-hour between 6:30 and 9:00 pm rather than one big seating. When you respond, please let us know (1) your preferred time slots (6:30 / 7:00 / 7:30 / 8:00 / 8:30 / 9:00); and (2) if there are any times you would NOT be able to use. Being flexible will likely make it easier to get a spot. Also, if you'd like to put together a group of up to 8 people, let us know that too so you can be seated at the same time.

We will do a similar routine as the last few dinners, with a drawing for seats from all requests received by Wednesday Sept. 7, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

Otherwise the drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (use the "contact the underground" link on the right side of this page). You will be advised by Wednesday Sept. 7 if the request has been confirmed.

We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Friday September 16, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

(You will be able to update the number of seats once you "add to cart").

experiment #18 - CobaYakkoSan

2011-08-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to all of the guinea pigs who joined us at Hiro's Yakko-San last nightfor Cobaya experiment #18, to Chef Hiro-san and his crew in the kitchen, and to May for being such a gracious host and putting together an intriguing sake pairing. You can see my pictures from the night in this CobaYakkoSan flickr set, with a more detailed recap to follow later at Food For Thought. Here is the menu for the night:

Chamame Edamame

Plum Wine

Tuna, Salmon Sashimi Salad

Crispy Fish Onion Salad

Nigori Sake

Shrimp Spicy Mayo, Fried Oyster

Hitosuji Junmai Sake

Kalbee Yakiniku and Spinach Butter

Akita Junmai Ginjo Sake

Seabass Miso Yaki

Kikuizumi Dai Ginjo Sake

Uni Garlic Pasta

Assorted Maki

Ikina Ona Dai Ginjo

Green Tea and Orange Mochi Ice Cream, Strawberry with Mint Cream

Dessert Pear Sake

experiment #18 - August 23, 2011

2011-08-05T23:10:00.001-04:00

Quick Details:
Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2011.
Price: $63pp, with an optional $26 drink pairing (inclusive of tax & tip).
Start time: Likely 7:30pm.

We will do a similar routine as the last few dinners, with a drawing for seats from all requests received by Tuesday August 9, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

Otherwise, the drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (use the "contact the underground" link on the right-hand side of this page). You will be advised by Monday August 15 if the request has been confirmed (I will try to do it sooner, but I'm traveling all week and may not be able, so please be patient).

We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Monday August 22, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:
(once you make a selection you can add additional seats)

Cobaya 17 - Market 17 with Chef Daniel Ramos

2011-07-24T00:39:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to all who joined us for our first "official" foray into Broward county for a Cobaya dinner with Market 17 in Fort Lauderdale. Chef Daniel Ramos and co-owner Kirsta Grauberger put together seven courses of food and wine that literally spanned the seven continents.

You can read my recap here on Food For Thought and see the pictures in this Cobaya 17 flickr set.

Incidentally, for those keeping track (and I don't know why anyone would), we are redubbing this one "experiment #17." We've had a few events that never got numbers - PodZilla, Cobaya Gras (which, it should be noted, was in Hollywood and thus our Broward incursion was not unprecedented), Paradigm Redux - so it only seems right.

Here's the menu from the July 18, 2011 dinner with Market 17:

Asia

prawn with shrimp and pork dumpling, lemongrass prawn head broth, accompaniments of traditional ingredients

Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Washington 2009

South America

quinoa crusted Peruvian paiche, roasted garlic, amaranth, cassava purée, tapioca, salsa verde

Alma Negra Sparkling Rosé, Mendoza Argentina 2009

Australia

peppercorn grilled kangaroo filet, caramelized brioche, poached pears, broccolini, blackberry sauce

Yangarra Old Vines Grenache, McLaren Vale Australia 2007

Africa

African spiced wild boar tenderloin with gumbo braised shank, whipped peanut sauce, caramelized yams, plantain coins, kale

Spice Route Pinotage, Swartland, South Africa 2008

Europe

pheasant breast, pheasant sausage, pheasant pistachio mousseline, duchesse potato, asparagus, creme margot

Chateau Merville St. Estephe, Bordeaux, France 2005

North America

North American bison, tomato chili sauce, sweet corn, potato purée, poached fingerling potatoes

Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA 2006

Antarctica

vanilla cake, meringue, candied lardo, fried raspberry coulis, chocolate and caramel ice cream

Inniskillin Vidal Icewine, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Canada 2007

cobaya experiment #14 - july 18, 2011

2011-07-05T11:02:00.001-04:00

Quick Details:
Date: Monday, July 18, 2011.
Price: $95pp, with an optional $30 wine pairing (inclusive of tax & tip).
Start time: Likely 7:30pm.

One additional note: we're expanding our turf - this dinner will be in Fort Lauderdale.

We will do a similar routine as the last few dinners, with a drawing for seats from all requests received before midnight this Thursday July 7, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

Otherwise, the drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (use the "contact the underground" link on the right side of this page). You will be advised by Friday July 8 if the request has been confirmed. We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Friday July 15, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

Cobaya 31 - Area 31 with Chef E. Michael Reidt

2011-06-14T08:23:00.003-04:00

Another experiment successfully concluded, this one with Chef E. Michael Reidt of Area 31 restaurant in the Epic Hotel in downtown Miami. Recap ~~to follow~~ is now up at Food For Thought and from The Chowfather. My pictures are in this Cobaya 31 flickr set; there's more here from jsdonn, and another nice recap from one of our guests (also a cook at a nearby restaurant) at Lady of the Knife.

Here's the menu:

Amuse Bouche

Heirloom Tomatoes, Peaches, Flowering Basil

Roederer NV Brut Premier

Cobia Ceviche

Pressed Avocado, Puffed Rice, Granny Smith Apple, Red Pepper Sorbet

Pio Cesare Cortese di Gavi 2010

Foie Gras "Fluff"

Smoked Peach, Crispy Basil Sponge, Pineapple, Tamarind Gastrique

"Cobaya Cocktail"

Flounder

Maine Lobster, Green Asparagus, Grapefruit, Vanilla Turnips

Luca Chardonnay 2007

Diver Scallop

Crab, Farro, Chorizo, English Peas, Coconut Broth

Turkey Flats Rose 2008

Sous Vide Duck

Confit Pork Belly, Carrot, Curry, Pistachio

Bell Syrah 2007

Dark Chocolate

Truffles, Dehydrated Mousse, Yogurt, Cherry Sorbet

Lindeman's Framboise Lambic

Thanks once again to all of our guinea pigs, to Chef Reidt for putting together a great dinner, and also to Megan Ratti, general manager at Area 31, who was such a pleasure to work with and did a great job helping coordinate our event.

Cobaya Experiment #13 - Monday June 13, 2011

2011-06-05T13:54:00.002-04:00

Quick Details:
Date: Monday, June 13, 2011.
Price: $85pp, $105pp with wine pairing (inclusive of tax & tip).
Start time: Likely 7:30pm.

Sorry once again for the short notice! We will do a similar routine as last time, with a drawing for seats from all requests received before midnight this Tuesday June 7, 2011, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

The drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats (you can use the "contact the underground" link to the right). You will be advised by Wednesday June 8 if the request has been confirmed. We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on the Cobaya website. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Friday June 11, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

experiment #12 - "Michybaya" with Chef Michelle Bernstein

2011-05-18T10:00:00.008-04:00

34 guinea pigs got a rare treat last night as one of our favorite, nationally known local treasures, Chef Michelle Bernstein cooked a Cobaya dinner at her new bakery/café space, Crumb on Parchment. A recap will follow at Food For Thought, for now you can see some pictures in this "Michybaya" flickr set. You can also see more pictures from jsdonn, Carlos Antonorsi, and @JenHoney425.

Updated: recaps now posted at Food For Thought, Mango & Lime, and Tinkering with Dinner.

The menu:

Oyster Chawan Mushi with Scallop and Uni Ceviche

Whole Roasted Foie Gras with Garden Vegetables
and Carrot-Orange Sauce

Chupe de Mariscos with Squid Ink Croquetas

New York Steak with Truffle Jus Injection and Gnocchi
with Celery Leaf, Budding Chives and Lily Bulb

Calamansi Soup with Pineapple, Mint Ice Cream

Banana Tarte Tatin with Salted Caramel Foam,
Nutmeg Ice Cream, Salted Chocolate Pretzel

Many thanks to Chef Bernstein, and all of the rest of her crew including chefs Berenice de Araujo (of Sra. Martinez, who co-planned the menu with Michelle), Jason Schaan (of Michy's), and Vanessa Paz, the dessert maven for Michy's and Sra. M, sommelier Allegra Angelo for curating some wonderful wine pairings, and Jorge Anaya-Lopez for helping put this together and making it happen so successfully. But as always, thanks most of all to the guinea pigs whose support makes these events possible.

experiment #12 - May 17, 2011

2011-05-05T13:45:00.002-04:00

Quick Details: Tuesday May 17, 2011.
Price ~~TBD, but likely $75-95pp~~ $105pp w $45 optional wine pairing.
Start time TBD, but likely 7:30-8:00pm.

Sorry for the short notice! We will do a similar routine as last time, with a drawing for seats from all requests received before midnight this Friday May 6, 2011, and additional requests filled, if possible, in the order they're received.

The drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (use the "contact the undergound" link to the right). You will be advised by Tuesday May 10 if the request has been confirmed. We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Friday May 13, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

experiment #11 - Cobakayapaz with Chefs Richard Hales, Vanessa Paz

2011-05-03T09:22:00.003-04:00

Another experiment concluded: many thanks to Chef Richard Hales of Sakaya Kitchen, who brought his new truck out to Villa 221 to prepare a great dinner; to Pastry Chef Vanessa Paz ("borrowed" from Michy's for the night) for too many desserts to count; and to Villa 221 for providing a really gorgeous venue for the evening.

Below is the menu for the evening. You can see pictures in this flickr set: "Cobakayapaz," and a recap here at Food For Thought. Most of all, and as always, thanks to the guinea pigs who support these events.

Nuoc Mau Spiced Pork Rinds

Pickled Papaya, Peanut Brittle, Organic Tomatoes, Local Mint

Mushroom Brioche "Toast," Ssamjang Mayo, House Cucumber Pickle, Local Cilantro

Burrata, Blackberry "Panzanella," Sesame Oil, Fuji Vinegar, Brioche, Maple, Basil

Fried Baby Artichokes, Quail Yolk, Fish Roe

Colossal Shrimp, Blistered Organic Shishito Pepper, Miso Cauliflower Purée

Kurobuta Pork Belly, Peach Gastrique, Grilled Ramps, Corn Croquetas, Black Eyed Peas

Miso Chocolate Brulée, Hot Chocolate Foam, Spicy Pecan Crumble

Pineapple Pie, Coconut Ice Cream

Dulce de Leche Panna Cotta, Pistachio Sponge Cake, Dry Meringue

Shot of Strawberry Sake

"PB&J" Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich

Green Tea Mascarpone Cake, Sapote

Chocolate Doughnut, Passion Fruit Sauce

experiment #11 - 5/2/11

2011-04-14T10:05:00.001-04:00

It's time for another experiment!

Monday, May 2, 2011. Price $85/pp. Start time likely will be 8pm.

VERY limited seating for this one, so (1) seat requests will be limited to 2 per person; and (2) we will do a drawing for the available seats from all requests received before midnight this Friday April 15 (with additional requests to be filled, if possible, in the order they were received).

The drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and specify how many you're requesting. Use the "contact the underground" link to the right. You will be advised by Next Friday April 22 if the request has been confirmed. We have very limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Friday April 29, 2011, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

experiment #10 - CobayIdeas in Food Dinner with Chef Alex Talbot

2011-03-03T17:49:00.003-05:00

On February 26, 2011 we were fortunate to have Chef Alex Talbot of Ideas in Food do a dinner out of the gastroPod for 50 guinea pigs at GAB Studio in Wynwood. Here's the menu he put together:

the menu

Surf and Turf

steak tartare, seaweed mayonnaise, bean sprout batons

Clams in Green Sauce

parsley, coconut, garlic-mustard

Steak and Eggs

beef tendon, onsen egg, culantro

Kimchi Cavatelli

kimchi gravy, torn basil, benton's ham

Twice Cooked Scallop

pumpkin, citron-sriracha, furikake

Sweetbreads

green mango, rum raisin, lime vinaigrette

Sticky Pork Belly

cream soda, crunchy turnip, charred scallions

Powdered Goat Cheese

strawberry relish

Malted Milk Custard

I've got some pictures up in this flickr set, here's an inside view from Chef Chad Galiano, who helped pitch in during the dinner and a brunch the following day, my own thoughts at Food For Thought, and some from another of our diners.

experiment #10 - CobayIdeas in Food - 2/26

2011-02-15T08:35:00.007-05:00

Good morning, guinea pigs! It's time for another experiment, this one a little more special than usual.

Saturday, February 26, 2011. Price will be $105 (all inclusive). BYOB. Start time probably 8pm.

In a break from the usual routine, we're lifting the cloak a bit and letting you know who will be our chef for the evening. If you're an avid follower of contemporary cooking discussions, you will probably already be familiar with Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot, the couple behind Ideas in Food. Ideas in Food is a culinary consulting business, it's a blog, and it's now a book as well: Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work. Alex and Aki are relentlessly creative and their ideas are a frequent source of inspiration to other chefs. A quick browse of the blog will give a good idea of some of the things they're up to, and their recently released book has also gotten national attention, including in the NY Times.

So Alex will be in Miami and cooking a Cobaya dinner, with some assistance from the gastroPod. And we're pretty excited.

Otherwise, the drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (you can use the "contact the underground" link at the top right of this page). By Friday February 18 you will be advised if the request has been confirmed. We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

We will also hold back a few seats for a "lottery," to be conducted on Friday Feb. 18, for those folks who do not compulsively check their emails.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly, as we are working on a tight schedule and will start filling waitlist seats on Tuesday February 22.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Friday February 25, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:
Cobaya Ideas in Food Dinner 2/26 ($105/seat)

experiment #9 - 1/11/11 with Chef Joshua Marcus, Chow Down Grill

2011-01-12T09:24:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to the 32 guinea pigs who squeezed their way into Chow Down Grill last night for what we called "experiment #9," but is actually #11 of our Cobaya dinners if you count Cobaya Gras and Podzilla (and you should). Chef Joshua Marcus and his crew really did it up right, bringing diners in through an unmarked alleyway, and providing live music between the ten courses we were served. It's always a real pleasure to work with chefs who "get" what we're trying to do, and I think Josh really got it.

All of my pictures from the dinner are here in this Cobaya 1.11.11 Flickr set, and a recap is up on Food For Thought. If you've got pictures or comments I'm glad to link to them here. Update: here's a recap at Tinkering with Dinner and more pictures from Mango & Lime.

Here's the menu (click on each item to see the picture):

Bird's Nest Soup

Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) with Aji Panca Sauce

Giant Pacific Oyster with Habañero-Pickled Cauliflower and Pike Roe Caviar

Sweetbread Dumplings with Carrot Wrapper and Squab Bao

Baby Octopus with Soy Beans and Spicy Sauce

Beef Tataki with Bamboo Shoots and Cucumber

Sea Urchin Lo Mein with Caviar

Baby Abalone with Sea Beans and Cat's Grandma's Avocado

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with Sea Cucumber and House-Made XO Sauce

Five-Spice White Chocolate Ganache with Walnuts, Jackfruit

experiment #9 - 1/11/11

2011-01-02T11:04:00.005-05:00

Good morning and Happy New Year, guinea pigs. It's time for the first Cobaya experiment of 2011.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 (1/11/11). Start time will be 9pm. Price will be $75, all inclusive. Beer and wine will be available for purchase or you may BYOB.

The drill is the same as always: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (use the "Contact the Underground" link to the right). By Wednesday Jan. 5 you will be advised if the request has been confirmed. We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly.

Seating will be limited. We will need to initially limit seat requests to 2 per person; if you want more seats, let me know and we will be keeping a "wish list." We will also hold 4 seats for a "lottery," to be conducted on Friday Jan. 7, for those folks who do not compulsively check their emails.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up here on the Cobaya website. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly, as we are working on a tight schedule and will start filling waitlist seats on Friday Jan. 7.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail on Sunday Jan. 9, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

Cobaya 1-11-11 Dinner:

Experiment #8 - Vino e Olio e Cobaya

2010-12-15T00:49:00.004-05:00

Another succesful experiment completed: this time, with Chef Andrea Menichetti of Vino e Olio in the Design District. My photos are up on flickr, with a recap ~~to follow~~ now up at Food for Thought. The menu is listed below. Thanks, as always, to everyone who came out to support Cobaya.

Panino con il Lampredotto

(Sandwich with veal tripe)

Ravioli all' olio extravergine di oliva, capperi e alici serviti su coulis di pomodoro

(Ravioli filled with olive oil, capers, anchovies served with fresh tomato coulis)

Lombetto di coniglio al basilico con cream di finocchi e vinaigrette al balsamico

(Loin of rabbit stuffed with basil, served with a fennel sauce and black truffle vinaigrette)

Animelle di vitello rosolate con asparagi e balsamico

(Sautéed veal sweetbreads served with asparagus)

Agnello agli zampetti

(Lamb chop stuffed with pork, served with broccoli)

Minestrone di frutta e verdure con gelato alla vaniglia

(Fruits and vegetables cold soup served with vanilla ice cream)

Experiment #8

2010-11-30T12:23:00.002-05:00

It's time for another experiment!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010. Start time probably about 7:30pm. Price, $65 (all inclusive), optional $15 wine pairing (2 glasses).

Here is the drill: please send an email (use the "contact the underground" link to the right) to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting. Within a few days you will be advised if the reservation has been confirmed. We have limited seating and while we try to accomodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events are filled very quickly. We will hold 4 seats for a "lottery," to be conducted a week in advance of the dinner for those folks who do not compulsively check their emails.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link ~~which will be set up here on this website~~ below. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation.

A brief refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail a day or two before the 14th, confirming the location and other details.

As always, thank you for your interest.

Katsuya Does Cobaya

2010-10-10T02:16:00.002-04:00

On September 5, Chef Katsuya Fukushima cooked for our "Visiting Dignitary" edition of Cobaya. Chef Katsuya has spent several years in über-chef José Andrés restaurants, including as head chef at Café Atlantico and minibar, and shortly after our dinner made a victorious appearance on Iron Chef America. Chef Douglas Rodriguez was the gracious host, lending us the dining room and kitchen of the now-recently-opened De Rodriguez Ocean in the Hilton Bentley Hotel on South Beach and contributing several dishes as well.

You can read my recap at Food For Thought and see the pictures in this Flickr set. The menu:

Passed Apps:

"Fish n Chips"; Serrano Ham Croquetas with Apple & Curry

Smoked Marlin Tacos; Oyster Shooters

"Ginger Beer" Cocktail

Salmon, Tuna and Tambour Rouge Ceviches

Tomato, Burrata and Uni Salad with Arugula, Rose Petals & Dashi Gelée

Cinnamon Miso Soup with Clams & Sweet Potato

"Loco Moco"

(Wagyu Meatballs with Truffle Gravy, Rice, 63° Egg, Macaroni and Spam Salad)

"Moros y Cristianos"

(House-Made Rice Krispies and Bacon Brittle with Black Bean Ice Cream, Cherry Drizzle)

"Thai Dessert"

(Coconut Sorbet, Peanut Butter Powder, Tamarind, Citrus, Cilantro, Cayenne)

Where Angels Fear to Tread

2010-10-07T01:02:00.007-04:00

'Tis hard to say, if greater Want of Skill
Appear in Writing or in Judging ill,
But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' Offence,
To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense:

A freelance writer for the Miami New Times took it upon herself to give a "critique" of the Cobaya dinners in their Short Order blog today. I put "critique" in quotes because what was most interesting about her comments - to me, anyway - is that she has never actually been to one of our events.

It is, frankly, disappointing that someone who has never been to one of those meals, and (forgive the snark, but I can't help it) doesn't know how to spell the word "palate" properly, thinks they're in a position to judge and give advice on "reevaluating the concept" of our Cobaya dinners. Even more disappointing is how the "critique" plainly got a number of facts wrong, facts which could have easily been determined from the information right on this website.

But most craven of all is that New Times has failed to publish the lengthy comment I left on the Short Order site responding to these matters.

Short Order even had the chutzpah to respond to a tweet questioning their writer's psychic abilities to evaluate dinners she's never had by saying "We contacted Cobaya several times with no response. They can respond to us now if they'd like."^[*] Then, after being told multiple times that my comment had not been published (and when a further attempt by me to post a comment on the blog also failed), they simply ignored me.

It sadly didn't occur to me that my response would be outright disregarded by any semi-serious, semi-professional journalistic outfit, and so I didn't save a copy of it. In light of New Times' failure to publish it, I'll do my best to recreate it here.

"prices are high for the menus offered" - Since August of last year we have done nearly a dozen events. Every one of them is different, and the prices have ranged from $35 (an event that featured six items and a drink) to $115. Four of them have been $55 or under. But we recognize that many times, this is not an inexpensive endeavor, and strive to deliver value. I think most of the time we've gotten it right.

"One local seafood restaurant hosted a six-course "experiment" for $90 and today, the same location, offers a five-course for $65." - I think it's great that Altamare (the restaurant mysteriously not named in the blog post) is now doing wine dinners somewhat similar to the event they did with Cobaya. What Short Order's comparison overlooks is that the Cobaya dinner pricing was all-inclusive, while Altamare's wine dinner pricing is exclusive of tax and tip - which makes up almost all of that $25 difference.

"menus are hardly experimental" - the fundamental goal here - as is described in the mission statement, if the writer had only perused it - is to give local chefs an opportunity to cook the kind of food they really want to cook, and to connect them with diners who are interested in that experience, whatever it may be. Some of those meals have been more technique-driven, others more ingredient-driven; some have been more "cutting edge" than others. You can surely pick a few items out of nearly a dozen menus with probably close to 100 courses and find some things you've eaten before. Our diners have also had the chance to try foie gras with root beer gastrique; tripe risotto; liquid greek salad; halibut with pastrami dashi; pulled pork char siu bao; whole roasted Hialeah pig; pork belly with whipped banana glaze, cilantro cocoa kettle corn, yogurt spheres and white chocolate powder; crawfish pie with tasso gelato; soba style yakamein; grilled lamb heart with kumquat chutney; Korean fried sweetbreads and frog legs; cupcakes with foie gras buttercream ...

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a similar dining experience on any menu of any Miami restaurant.

We're honestly not all that concerned with whether Cobaya is "not so underground," and we're certainly not fretting over whether we "qualify for the big-time" (whatever that may be). Indeed, that much ought to be clear from the mission statement:

For those who question the "underground" street cred of this mission, those questions are perfectly legitimate. My answer is, "I don't care." We're not limiting ourselves to meals cooked in abandoned warehouses in secret locations disclosed the day before the dinner; we're also not limiting ourselves to white tablecloths and silverware changed between every course. We're very open-minded that way: all that matters is if the food is good, and we think there's enough similar-minded folks to make that game plan sustainable.

Now, we do welcome constructive, informed criticism, and we get comments, both publicly and privately, from participants after every one of our events. They are not perfect - they are, indeed, experiments - and I think each of them has had their successes and failures. And it is not with pride, but with humble gratitude, that I note that the ongoing support for Cobaya has been tremendous. There are nearly 400 people who have joined the Cobaya Google Group to receive announcements of events. Those events have typically sold out hours after they are announced, and the overwhelming majority of people who have come to one event seek to come back again.

I see this as a testament to a much more vibrant dining culture than many give Miami credit for, and a tribute to the chefs who have worked to create these meals. We're fortunate to have some very talented chefs here, and I'm constantly grateful to have been able to help put together an open-minded group of diners who are appreciative of their efforts.

^[*]The writer did indeed send me a couple emails asking generally to speak about Cobaya before the story was published. I did not respond. The truth is - and I know this may come as a shock to "journalists" whose stories, more often than not, consist of regurgitated press releases - we are not particularly seeking additional publicity for Cobaya. That certainly doesn't give a writer license to get the facts wrong or to write something completely half-assed and unbalanced. The "editor" (I think that's what Jose Duran is with regard to the Short Order blog, though it's hard to tell) responded to other comments from people who have in fact been to Cobaya dinners with the following: "Basically, you're all full of it and I don't disagree with Christina because I've heard far worse things about Miami's "Cobaya" dinners." With that attitude, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that they didn't publish my response. Unfortunately, it seems the inmates are running the asylum over there at New Times.

Cobaya 9/5/10 Dinner - Kats Out of the Bag

2010-08-30T22:40:00.001-04:00

If you have received a confirmation of your seat request for the Cobaya Visiting Dignitary Dinner on Sunday September 5 ... you're in luck. Please go down to the bottom of this page and use the PayPal link to book your seats (please DO NOT use the PayPal link unless you have received an email CONFIRMING your request for seats).

In a break from our customary routine, I'm very happy to leak a little more info about our visiting chef. Katsuya Fukushima for the past fifteen years has worked closely with Chef José Andrés, including several years as the Head Chef of Café Atlantico in Washington DC. Katsuya helped open minibar, one of the more cutting edge restaurants in the country, as well as the more recently opened and acclaimed Bazaar by José Andrés in Los Angeles. He began work with Chef Andrés after spending a season at the legendary el Bulli in Roses, Spain working under the tutelage of Ferran Adria. So, yeah, we're kind of excited.

We have already received more requests than we have seats, but will be keeping a waitlist just in case seats become available. And if you're missing out on the dinner, you'll be able to catch Chef Fukushima on Iron Chef America on September 26.

As is customary, here is a brief refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Thank you as always for your support.

Visiting Dignitary Edition Dinner - September 5

2010-08-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the many responses to the "trial balloon" to the Cobaya Gourmet Guinea Pigs group, a "Visiting Dignitary Edition" of our Cobaya dinners will be going forward on Sunday, September 5. More details will follow, but our visiting chef is someone whose name will be well-known to the food-core, who has worked for fifteen years with one of the most well-regarded chefs in the country, and who has been head chef of a restaurant that is on the leading edge of culinary innovation. I'm not usually inclined to such puffery, but I'm pretty excited.

We are going to need to limit requests initially to 2 seats per person, with a "wish list" for additional seats. If you have not already done so, please send an email to request 1 or 2 seats, and any "wish list" requests (use the "contact the underground" link to the right).

Pricing - tentatively - will be $110 per person all inclusive; though that is still subject to final confirmation (if it changes it won't be by much). The dinner will be the evening of Sunday September 5, with a start time likely between 7:30 and 8:00 pm. It will either be BYOB and/or beer & wine will be available for purchase on site. Final details will be confirmed very shortly.

In a few days you will be advised whether the reservation has been confirmed; when you have received a confirmed reservation, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page (please do not book until you've received a confirmation). There will be a deadline to book, after which unclaimed seats will be rolled over to the waitlist. We also will hold a small group of seats for a "lottery" for the people who do not have a lightning-quick response time on emails. Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail a day or so before the event, confirming the location.

As is customary, here is a brief refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Thank you as always for your support.

PODZILLA! - Chefs Jeremiah Bullfrog, Kurtis Jantz, Chad Galiano

2010-06-14T01:18:00.005-04:00

We had our biggest group of guinea pigs ever (60+) come out for PODZILLA! tonight. The idea, as those who joined us know, was to have a casual, laid-back get-together with some of our former Cobaya chefs, with the culinary theme of the evening being elevated, American (very loosely speaking) street foods.

Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog, who did our second Cobaya dinner, brought out the gastroPod for the event, his mobile 21st century kitchen built into a shiny vintage 1962 Airstream trailer. And Chefs Kurtis Jantz and Chad Galiano, who were responsible for Cobaya Gras, offered their own unique spin on several classics.

The complete menu is listed below. I will follow up with more thoughts later and happily link to anyone else's recap or pictures.

Updates:

A chef's-eye view from Chef Chad Galiano a/k/a Chadzilla).
Bill of Tinkering with Dinner gives his take.
Recap now up at Food For Thought.
Eleanor (a/k/a Wokstar) has another recap and lots of pics.

Summer Spritzer

salted watermelon, tomato, tequila

Octo Salpicon

smoked paprika, red onion, lime, tomato

French Quarter Chicken Livers
hot pepper fluid gel, evoo-sea salt crackers

Brine Fried Chicken

Big Mike's potato salad, buttermilk-chicharrone biscuits

Crispy White Corn Cake

poached egg, oxtail gravy, queso cotija, crema

Bánh Mì Tacos

pulled pork in trotter jus, nước chấm, pickled radishes, cilantro salad

'Baha' Fish Taco Salad

50°C swordfish, cabbage, chipotle, tortillas, pico de gallo

Double Decker Slider Burgers

stuffed with bacon and double cheddar sous vide @ 59°C

Mississippi Delta Tamales

cornmeal tamale, tomatillo, tomato ketchup

Root Beer & Bourbon Floats

Zatarain's, lemon, Elijah Craig, vanilla ice cream,
cherry 'on top'

White Chocolate Cupcakes

foie gras butter cream

Many thanks to the chefs, to Chef Mike "Big Basco" Marshall (the fried chicken zen master), Carla, Steve, the incredibly appropriately named DJ Kiko de Gallo who was playing great tunes all night, as well to Shawn at Harvey's by the Bay for graciously providing us with the venue for our dinner, and to his kids, who were helping out nonstop all night (and also ate their weight in fried chicken). I forgot to bring my camera, so instead will subject you to a few more of my goofy "Hipstamatic" iPhone pictures.

Octopus Salpicon

Chef Jeremiah and the Pod

Chef Kurtis Jantz (Chad Galiano grilling chicken livers in background)

This is your brain on a root beer and bourbon float

PODZILLA! Sunday June 13

2010-06-07T19:45:00.010-04:00

Sorry for the short notice, but it's time to have a litle fun: a casual get-together with some of our prior Cobaya chefs.

This Sunday evening, June 13 - $50 - start time probably 7ish.

Please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (use the "contact the underground" link to the right). In a few days you will be advised whether the reservation has been confirmed; when you have received a confirmed reservation, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page (please do not book until you've received a confirmation).

As with our regular Cobaya dinners, do note: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail a day or so before the event, confirming the location. Hope to see you there.

UPDATED: For those who have confirmed RSVPs, the PayPal link to book your spots is below (you can update the number of spots after you click "Add to Cart"). Thanks!

PODZILLA! 6/13/10 Dinner - $50/pp

Experiment #6 - CobayaSteak at Bourbon Steak

2010-05-13T10:11:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Chef Gabriel Fenton, General Manager John Riccardo, Sommelier Matthew Turner, and all of the rest of the crew at Bourbon Steak for putting together another great Cobaya dinner last night. And thanks, as always, to the guinea pigs for their support of these little experiments. Here's a little glimpse below, as well as the menu. My full set of pictures is here on flickr, and my recap of the meal is now up here at Food For Thought. I'll link to any recaps or other pics as they're posted.

The menu:

Michael Mina Cuvée Welcome & Gougeres

Michael's Classic American Caviar Parfait

House Smoked King Salmon, Dill Oil

Robert Weil Riesling Tradition, Rheingau, Germany 2008

Hawaiian Big Eye Sashimi

Aji Amarillo Chile, Cilantro, Lime, Chorizo

La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain 2008

Hudson Valley Foie Gras Terrine

Strawberry, Grains of Paradise, Pistachio, Blue Basil

Royal Tokaji '5 Puttonyos,' Hungary, 2003

Line Caught Wild Alaskan Halibut

Baby Purple Artichokes, Meyer Lemon, Taggiasca Olive

Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles 2007

Columbia River Sturgeon

Short Rib Ravioli, Spring Garlic

Jean Louis Chave Cotes du Rhone, Mon Coeur, Rhone Valley, France 2006

Local Peach Sorbet

Ginger Gelée, Lemon Balm

Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta

Candied Kumquats, Almond Biscotti

Jorge Ordoñez & Co. Moscatel Seleccion Especial, Malaga, Spain 2006

And yes: we had a 7-course meal at Bourbon Steak without a single steak. That's just how we roll.

Cobaya Experiment #6 - Wednesday May 12

2010-04-29T14:27:00.005-04:00

We're at it again. Wednesday, May 12, 2010. This will be during "normal" dining hours, not a midnight affair, and will be a bit more upscale than our last event. Pricing will be $90/person inclusive of tax and tip, with a $25 wine pairing option.

Same routine: please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (please use the "contact the underground" link to the right). Within a few days you will be advised whether the reservation has been confirmed; when you have received a confirmed reservation, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up here (please do not book until you've received a confirmation). Seating will be limited, and I will hold 4 seats for a "lottery," to be conducted a few days in advance of the dinner for those folks who do not compulsively check their emails.

UPDATED:

For those people who have CONFIRMED SEATS, the PayPal link for booking your seats is below. Please do not pay for seats unless you've received a confirmation email. Thanks!

A brief refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail a day or two before the 12th, confirming the location. Start time will be around 7:30/8:00pm, again, details to be confirmed shortly.

As always, thank you for your interest.

Experiment #5 - Cobaya in the Night Kitchen at Sakaya Kitchen

2010-04-26T11:17:00.005-04:00

Many thanks to the forty guinea pigs who stayed up late and came out to Sakaya Kitchen at midnight this past Saturday for our latest Cobaya dinner. You can see all my pictures here in this flickr set (there's a little taste below), and my recap of the night's festivities is up on Food For Thought. I'd love to hear others' takes on the dinner, feel free to add your own comments or links. As always, we are tremendously grateful for your support for these events. We had our biggest group yet, and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Thanks.

Edited to add: a recap from Tinkering With Dinner is now up as well, and also now from The Chowfather.

The full menu:

"Cobaya in the Night Kitchen @~~Sak~~^[1]aya Kitchen"

April 24, 2010 Midnight

What you may already know...

Papa's Shrimp & Pork Filipino Egg Rolls, Fuji Vinegar

Pork Butt, House Cured & Roasted Boston Butt, House Pickle, Ssamjang Sweet Chili

Some new stuff for Cobaya...

Garlic'd Laughing Bird Shrimp, Chive Flower Soba Noodles

Bucket of Korean Fried Sweetbreads & Spicy Frog Legs, Local Baby Cucumber Blossom

"Chim Quay" Quail, Pig Skin "Tsitsaron," Chinese Broccoli

"Nuoc Mau" Pork Belly, Roasted Local Baby Carrots, Crispy Bone Marrow, Coconut Rice

Dessert!?...Go home and have sex like the old days instead of blogging about food...

Blue Point Oyster^[2]
Pajeon

Menardies^[3]

Wife Hales' Chocolate Chocolate Cookie Bag

^[1]Cobaya Kitchen

^[2]An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire

^[3]Postcoital

Edible Cobaya?

2010-04-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

There's a little blurb on the Guinea Pigs here in the latest edition of Edible South Florida - and a lot of other good reading too, including Norman Van Aken singing the praises of a couple of my favorite tropical fruits, mamey and lychee. You can see more about Edible South Florida on their website, or look for the publication at Whole Foods and several other locations.

For those interested in the April 24 "Cobaya in the Night Kitchen" dinner, "lottery" and waitlist seats should be announced tomorrow. For those of you who have already received confirmations of your requests but haven't booked through PayPal yet: your seats will be released to the waitlist if they're not booked by midnight tonight (Monday April 19). Tick. Tock.

Cobaya in the Night Kitchen

2010-04-14T18:09:00.001-04:00

"Did you ever hear of Micky, how he heard a racket in the night and shouted and fell through the dark ..."

Time for something different. Cobaya. Midnight. Saturday, April 24. $55, tax & tip included. Want in?

Please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (the email link is over on the right side over there, where it says "contact the underground"). Within a few days you will be advised whether the reservation has been confirmed; when you have received a confirmed reservation, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page (please do not book until you've received a confirmation). Seating will be limited, and I will hold 6 seats for a "lottery," to be conducted a few days in advance of the dinner for those folks who do not compulsively check their emails.

UPDATED:

For those people who have CONFIRMED SEATS, the PayPal link for booking your seats is below. Please do not pay for seats unless you've received a confirmation email. Thanks!

A brief refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail a day or two before the 24th, confirming the location. Start time will be midnight.

As always, thank you for your interest.

experiment #4 - Altamare w Chef Simon Stojanovic

2010-03-23T09:54:00.002-04:00

Another successful experiment concluded. This time, twenty guinea pigs got to try a menu crafted by Chef Simon Stojanovic (an alum of MGF&D) as owner Claudio Giordano played host and poured wine at Altamare, the new incarnation of South Beach's longstanding locals' favorite, Altamar.

I arrived at the dinner late (though still in time for a braised and grilled octopus with aioli over farro spiked with chorizo and green tomatoes, and then a delicious Deep Creek Farms lamb heart with a kumquat chutney), so hopefully some of our other attendees will have some good recaps. My own thoughts on the meal are here at Food For Thought; and Chowfather has a good recap too (more complete than mine).

Thanks to Claudio for being such a gracious host, to Chef Stojanovic and pastry chef Crystal {?} for putting together some great food, to Ellen Marchman of Get Ink for helping to coordinate things, and most of all, to all of the guinea pigs for coming out. I am constantly gratified and energized by the tremendous support we've received for these dinners. There's lots more in store, so if you haven't had a chance to join us yet, stay tuned.

The menu:

Sheepshead Carpaccio

heart of palm, cara cara orange, chive salt

Triggerfish Tempura

shaved fennel and buddha's hand salad

Grilled Octopus

warm farro, chorizo, grilled lemon, green tomato, saffron aioli

Grilled Deep Creek Ranch Lamb Heart

fregola, kumquat and medjool date chutney

House Made Pappardelle

braised short rib, beet greens, bufala mozzarella, roasted tomato

Chocolate Mousse Brulée

fennel sponge cake, candied lemon, olive oil gelato

Experiment #4 - March 22, 2010

2010-03-12T17:59:00.000-05:00

The experiments continue. Cobaya Dinner #4 (the numbering is pretty arbitrary at this point, considering we've done a couple events that somehow didn't get numbers) will be Monday, March 22, 2010. Pricing will be $70 all-inclusive, $90 with wine pairings.

Please send an email to request seats, and let me know how many you're requesting (the email link is over on the right side over there, where it says "contact the underground"). Within a few days you will be advised whether the reservation has been confirmed; when you have received a confirmed reservation, please book it using the PayPal link below (Please do not book until you've received a confirmation; also please note there is an option for either with or without the wine pairing).* Seating will be limited, and I will hold 4 seats for a "lottery," to be conducted a few days in advance of the dinner for those folks who do not compulsively check their emails.

A brief refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail a day or two before the 22nd, confirming the location and start time, though we'll probably begin around 7:30pm.

As always, thank you for your interest.

Cobaya Gras!

2010-02-13T11:57:00.008-05:00

A hearty thank you to everyone who braved the elements last night and joined us for Cobaya Gras. A group of 36 got to eat some great food from Chefs Kurtis Jantz, Chad Galiano, Mike Marshall (a/k/a Big Basco), Jenny Rissone and Chris DeGweck. We had a great time and for the most part even managed to stay dry.

I'll follow up with a recap over on Food For Thought, but in the meantime here are some pictures from last night.

Update: Recap now up at Food For Thought, and an inside view from chef Chad Galiano.

More updates: Recap from Mango & Lime

Geaux Cobayes!

The full menu:

Pimm's Cup

Creole Kettle Corn

Sausage Sliders

Fried Chicken with Red Beans and Rice

Crawfish Pie a la mode with Tasso Gelato

"Yakamein" Soba Style

Crawfish Bread "French Dip" with Gumbo Consommé
Fried Shrimp with Lemon & Green Tabasco Fluid Gel

BBQ Oysters with Garlic Butter and Pepper Jelly

Cafe Brulot Bread Pudding
King Cake Ice Cream with Crown Cookies
Pralines

Cobaya Gras! February 12

2010-02-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

"Cobaya Gras," a celebration of Mardi Gras Cobaya-style, featuring the cooking of some New Orleans expatriates, will be happening next Friday evening 2/12. Price will be $50 a head, BYOB, style will be a little more laid back than some of our prior Cobaya dinners.

If you wish to attend, PLEASE EMAIL ME DIRECTLY (the email link is over on the right, where it says "contact the underground"). WHEN YOU HAVE A CONFIRMED SEAT, please use the PayPal link below to book it. Don't pay for a seat before you've gotten confirmation that they're still available, thanks.

For those who do not compulsively check their emails, I will hold 6 seats to be selected randomly on Wednesday evening.

Thank you as always for your interest. Geaux Guinea Pigs!

Experiment #3 - Chef Jonathan Eismann

2009-12-20T11:57:00.001-05:00

You can see some recaps of the latest Cobaya dinner, with Chef Jonathan Eismann in the location of his not-yet-opened new restaurant, Fin, at Mango & Lime and Food For Thought. Let me know if there are others and I'll be glad to link to them. The menu was loosely based on a "Feast of Seven Fishes," all from up and down the eastern seaboard. The full lineup is here:

Sea Scallop Crudo (Maine)

Coriander, Cilantro, Lime, Sicilian Sea Salt

Warm Curried Davenport Oysters (Massachusetts)

Fluke and Squid Tiradito (Long Island)

"Saigon Style," Red Grapefruit, Nuoc Cham

Stone Crab Cake (Florida)

Cantonese Black Bean Vinaigrette, Napa Cabbage Kim Chee

Steamed Clams (Sebastian Inlet, FL)

Rocky Mountain Sake, Greens, Onions, Crushed Tomato

Pan Roasted Snowy Grouper (Miami, FL)

Braised Fennel, Preserved Lemon Risotto

Wild Striped Bass (North Carolina)

Cucumber Salad, Mustard Oil, Soy

Hong Kong Yellowtail (Keys, FL)

Yuzu, Ginger, Red Curry

Pan Roasted North Atlantic Cod (Maine)

Black Pepper Potato, Escabeche

Lime & Apricot Sorbets

I got 2

2009-12-16T16:11:00.001-05:00

Two seats for tomorrow night's (12/17) Cobaya dinner have freed up, and I have already cycled my way through the wait list. If you want them, first response by tweet or email gets them (to email click on "contact the underground" to the right).

Sorry, they're gone.

backwards and forwards

2009-12-14T16:55:00.001-05:00

I wrote about the dinner at PH2 during Art Basel weekend with chefs Kurtis Jantz and Chad Galiano over here. It wasn't a Cobaya dinner but several guinea pigs came out, with discounted rates from PH2 for Cobayas.

The upcoming Cobaya dinner on December 17 is on schedule and we have a full house. Thanks to everyone for your interest and apologies to those for whom there weren't enough seats. Working on a "lottery" system for at least some of the seats for the next event so that they're not all gone in two hours like the past couple dinners. If you're signed up for it, you'll be getting some details soon.

Next dinner after this one will likely be mid to late January.

experiment #3 - update

2009-12-01T17:48:00.001-05:00

We have received more responses than we have available seats for our latest little experiment. I will be notifying everyone who I've been able to confirm we have room for, and will be keeping a waitlist in case anyone cancels.

Before serving as a guinea pig, here is a friendly reminder of some information you should know: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

The dinner will be BYOB. If you want to bring wine, we'll try to coordinate some appropriate pairings. It's been somewhat haphazard but has ultimately worked out OK for prior events.

Confirmed attendees will receive an e-mail a day or two before the 17th, confirming the location and start time, though we'll probably begin around 7ish.

There is a PayPal link below to pay for CONFIRMED seats, please note that the price ($81/person) is inclusive of tax. Please DO NOT use the link below to pay for a seat unless you have already received a CONFIRMED RSVP. Any seats not picked up by 5pm this Friday, Dec. 4 will be released to the waitlist. Thanks, as always, for your interest.

underground dinner experiment #3 - 12/17

2009-11-30T17:05:00.000-05:00

It's happening again. The next Cobaya dinner will be Thursday, December 17. Chef, theme, location all to be disclosed later (trust me, it'll be good). Price will be $75 + tax. Limited seating, Please email me directly (the link is over on the right side over there, where it says "contact the underground") to request seats (let me know how many). Like last time, once reservations have been confirmed I will be setting up a PayPal link for confirmed RSVPs. Thanks for your interest, looking forward to another great dinner with the guinea pigs.

PH2 Art/Dining Events - "Black Friday" Tix

2009-11-26T11:21:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, guinea pigs. Among many other things, here's another to be thankful for:

I've posted earlier on the Art/Dining series of events at PH2 coming up on Art Basel weekend. There are still some tickets remaining for the Friday and Saturday dinners and the Sunday brunch, and the PH2 folks are extending a "Black Friday" discount to Cobaya members: $100 off the dinner tix (for a net price of $100) and $25 off the Sunday brunch (for a net price of $50). For more information and the discounts codes, check this Cobaya Google Group thread.

Edited to add: I just came across this feature in the Miami Herald on Stephen Gamson, the "artist in residence" for the Friday night dinner.

Updated to add: My recap of the "Paradigm Redux" dinner put together Friday night by Chefs Kurtis Jantz and Chad Galiano can be found here at Food For Thought. Their full menu:

Stick Figure Anticuchos

grilled baby octopus, green tabasco, lemon, boscoli olive sauce

Fried chicken liver, aji panca tartar, cajun cancha corn

2 Tails ... Surf n Turf

oxtail meat pie, pepper jelly, green bean-lobster salad, micro-corn cake, jester vinegar and oil

Frod's Shimp Dickles

honey mustard, brussels slaw, cheese-its

Meat

45°C tartare, 64°C egg yolk, caper salt, parsley, onion, "whas dis here" sauce

The Golden Egg

oeuf truffle

Pork Belly

inca-pi glaze, whipped spiced banana glaze, cilantro cocoa kettle corn, yogurt spheres, white chocolate powder

Monstera

delicioso! crisp meringue napoleon, sugar globe, dulce de leche gelato

P.I.G. Aftermath

2009-11-24T16:09:00.006-05:00

We had a nice turnout of "Very Important Pigs" for an early tasting of the P.I.G. (Pork Is Good) fest by Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog this past Sunday at Harvey's By The Bay, east of Biscayne Boulevard off 64th Street.

There's already a couple good recaps up from Tinkering With Dinner and Jean-Marc (nice headshot of the pig there). ~~I'll be getting mine up soon~~ Mine are now up at Food For Thought. There seemed to be plenty of people taking pictures and notes, so if you've posted something please let me know and I'm happy to link to it.

The full lineup:

Chicharrones

Moonshine & Black Cherry Cocktail

Southern Style Char Siu Bao

Pork Belly Cuban Sandwiches

Banh Mi Style Trotter Tacos

Home-made Hot Dogs

Caja China Roasted Pork with Sweet Potato Flan

updates

2009-11-19T11:07:00.003-05:00

A few things of note:

- the "VIP" Passes for P.I.G. [Pork Is Good] pigfest with Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog are sold out. All comers are still welcome after 3pm for a la carte pig and partying at Harvey's By the Bay at 6445 NE 7th Ave. (off 64th Street east of Biscayne Boulevard) this Sunday, November 22.

- Tickets are still available from PH2 for their series of Art/Dining events during Art Basel weekend (click on the link to purchase). There are some interesting insights on the creative process of pairing food to art from one of the chefs here on his blog. The Friday dinner is a good chance to experience one of the "Paradigm" dinners from Chefs Kurtis Jantz and Chad Galiano, while Saturday features Chef Alberto Cabrera, and Chef Jeremiah will be putting on a Sunday brunch. Cobaya members get a $50 discount on all but the Sunday brunch tickets. More information available at the Cobaya message board.

- Hold the date: December 17 for the next Cobaya dinner. More info to follow.

Eat Basel

2009-11-16T09:48:00.003-05:00

Our hosts for the last Cobaya dinner, The Factory Interactive, have organized a series of art-meets-food events over Art Basel weekend.

The Thursday event is already fulled booked. Friday night features chefs Kurtis Jantz and Chad Galiano, the chefs responsible for the Paradigm dinners, and the art of Stephen Gamson. Saturday night features chef Alberto Cabrera and artist Alejandro Mendoza. The festivities will finish with a Sunday brunch by chef Jeremiah Bullfrog, who cooked up the most recent Cobaya dinner, with art from Claudio Picasso (I'd swear I've heard both those names before).

For more information on the PH2 Art | Dining series, go to their site. Fellow guinea pigs can take advantage of discounted tickets for the Friday and Saturday (before they sell out!); check the Cobaya group message board for details.

P.I.G. [Pork Is Good] VIP Passes

2009-11-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

Want to play some "PIG"? As noted yesterday, PIG - [Pork Is Good], an ode to the porcine by Chef Jeremiah Bullfog, will be happening Sunday November 22 at Harvey's By the Bay (American Legion Hall), 6445 NE 7th Ave. (off 64th Street east of Biscayne Boulevard).

Chef is going to be doing 4-5 "Iron Chef" style pork dishes, plus roasting several whole pigs in a caja china. You can get "VIP" ("Very Important Pig") preview tickets here for $35 which will get early admission at 2pm, a sampling of each of the dishes, plus carvings from the first pig (and then more until it runs out). Then after 3pm, anyone who comes can have what they like, with affordable "a la carte" prices and combo deals for multiple items. As many as want to come are welcome, there will be food until it runs out, good music, and the Harvey's bar will be open.

Buy a "VIP" Pass here:

[edited 11/19/09 to add: sorry, VIP passes are sold out! But you can still come after 3pm and get pig samplings a la carte]

PIG for the Guinea Pigs

2009-11-05T16:18:00.004-05:00

For those who missed the second-night Chef Jeremiah pig-fest, take note: PIG - [Pork Is Good], an ode to the porcine, will be happening Sunday November 22 at Harvey's By the Bay (American Legion Hall), 6445 NE 7th Ave. (off 64th Street east of Biscayne Boulevard). More information to follow, including VIP (Very Important Pig) preview tix.

Cobaya Underground Dinner #2, 2.5

2009-10-26T12:25:00.005-04:00

Many thanks to Chef Jeremiah and all of his crew, to The Factory Interactive for providing such a great venue, and to all the guinea pigs who came out Saturday and Sunday night for a couple of great dinners.

My comments and thoughts and several pictures are now up on Food For Thought Miami; you can see the complete set of pictures in this flickr set, and Jacob Katel of Miami New Times got some great shots Saturday night that are now up on the Short Order blog. Here's a nice write-up at Mango & Lime of the Sunday night dinner, and another write-up here at Blind Tastes from Blind Mind. Plus this awesome video shot on Saturday night by video artist James Painter Belvin:

For those interested in future dinners, they will be announced here and you can also join the Cobaya - Gourmet Guinea Pigs Google group and you'll get notice by email when new events are announced.

The Saturday menu:

Greek Salad

Tomato Water, Compressed Cucumbers, Feta Stuffed Olives, Hendrick's Gin

Local Stone Crabs

Mustard Emulsion, Crab Consommé, Meyer Lemon Oil

An Ode to Autumn:

Pumpkin Burrata Dumpling

Bacon

Braised Pork Belly, 63c Egg

Halibut Like a Reuben

Rye Streusel, Pastrami Dashi

REFRESH

72 Hour Shorties

Braised Short Ribs, Parsnips, Big Zin Redux

Coffee & Donuts

Krispy Kreme Flan

Repeat Experiment

2009-10-21T03:34:00.006-04:00

An experiment is of very limited value if the results can not be replicated.

On account of the rather vibrant response, we will be conducting a second Cobaya dinner experiment with Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog on Sunday October 25 and can make 12 seats available. I would like to initially open this up to those people who asked to be waitlisted for the 10/24 dinner, and then after 24 hours fill any remaining seats.

Before volunteering as a guinea pig, some information you should know: there is no "menu". Price for this dinner is $75 all inclusive. It is BYOB. There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, or religious restrictions, are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or pregnant; this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

If you'd like in on the 10/25 dinner, email me at contact the underground and tell me how many seats you would like. If you receive a confirmation that seats are still available, you will then need to pay via the PayPal link given below. DO NOT PAY for seats unless you have received a confirmation. People who asked to be waitlisted for 10/24 will have first priority until midnight Wednesday, when it will be opened up to everyone else (but if you're interested please let me know and on Thursday, any available seats will be filled first come first serve).

Thanks again for your interest.

the secret is out

2009-10-07T16:38:00.008-04:00

UrbanDaddy ran a blurb on our little dinner thang. The response is overwhelming my inbox!

All seats for the 10/24 dinner have been filled, but I will keep track of a waitlist and will let people know, first come first serve, if seats free up. Please, DO NOT click on the PayPal link below unless you have a confirmed RSVP.

For those of you who have asked about future events, they will be announced on this website and also on the Cobaya - Gourmet Guinea Pigs Google group (formerly known as the Miami Chowdown Google group). If you join the group, you will receive emails when new events are announced.

Thanks to all for your interest!

By the way, I know this website/blog is completely goofy looking. I just changed the template, no idea if it's an improvement.

Cobaya Dinner #2 - October 24

2009-10-06T13:51:00.003-04:00

Wow, that was quick. All but 1 of the 20 seats for the second Cobaya dinner are already taken. It's going to be a fun one, with Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog, personal chef to Rick Ross, in the kitchen. You can learn a little more about him in this New Times interview, but you can possibly get an even better idea of his cooking from his Twitter feed.

Location and exact time will be provided to confirmed RSVPs in advance, but in the meantime, anyone who has a confirmed RSVP should please book their seats using the form below. Once the seats are completely filled, I will be keeping a wait list. Any reservations not booked by midnight this Friday October 9, 2009 will be released to the waitlist.

If you would like to be on the waiting list, please email me at contact the underground and I'll let you know if seats free up. Please only pay through the PayPal form below if you have a confirmed RSVP. Thanks!

10/24 - the experiment continues

2009-10-05T20:35:00.003-04:00

Attention guinea pigs: the experiment continues. The next Cobaya underground dinner will be Saturday October 24. Attendance is limited to 20. Cost will be $75 all-inclusive. All other deets are on a need to know basis.

If you want in, please RSVP by email: "contact the underground" and let me know for how many people, up to 4 per RSVP. If for some reason that link isn't working, it's miamichowdown [at] gmail [dot] com.

preview

2009-08-04T00:55:00.004-04:00

Cobaya Dinner August 4, 2009 from Talula Chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Sous Chef Kyle Foster:

DIVER SCALLOP CRUDO

Blue Moon Beer Sorbet, Pickled Ginger, Mint Sea Salt

PAN SEARED FOIE GRAS

Homestead Lychees, House Smoked Bacon, Toasted Almonds, Root Beer Gastrique

ANCHO CHILE ROASTED QUAIL

Buttered Popcorn Puree, Raisin-Cocoa Nib Jus

BRAISED TRIPE RISOTTO

Green Apple, Red Cabbage, House Smoked Tasso, Walnuts, Aged Marisa

CHAR GRILLED PRIME AGED SPINALIS

Summer Stone Fruit Panzanella, Arugula, "Blackberry Wine," Crispy Shallots

CARR VALLEY ARTISAN CHEESES

House Made Mostarda, Truffle-Honey

VANILLA BEAN PANNA COTTA

Strawberry, Tarragon, Spiced White Balsamic Syrup

update

2009-08-02T01:17:00.004-04:00

The August 4 dinner is fully booked (20 guinea pigs!). You may have seen some details already revealed in New Times' Short Order blog. I've been given a preview of the menu and it looks fully awesome - though no actual guinea pig will be served.

mission statement

2009-07-28T00:10:00.002-04:00

The goal here is a very simple one - to get talented chefs to cook great, interesting, creative meals for an audience of adventurous, open-minded diners. That may happen inside a restaurant, it may happen outside of one. It may be a multi-course tasting menu, it may be a family-style whole hog dinner (here's hoping). For those who question the "underground" street cred of this mission, those questions are perfectly legitimate. My answer is, "I don't care." We're not limiting ourselves to meals cooked in abandoned warehouses in secret locations disclosed the day before the dinner; we're also not limiting ourselves to white tablecloths and silverware changed between every course. We're very open-minded that way: all that matters is if the food is good, and we think there's enough similar-minded folks to make that game plan sustainable.

Every invitation comes with a disclaimer: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

going underground

2009-07-27T06:20:00.003-04:00

Something's happening here today ...

Food For Thought and The Chowfather are working on making an "underground dinner club" thing happen here in Miami. Given that it's Miami, "underground" is not so easy to do (we're at sea level and all), but the idea we were both kicking around was to assemble a group of adventurous diners willing to serve as guinea pigs for local chefs looking to try out something new or different.

A first event is already being planned for August 4, a few spots will still be available. More info to follow soon. If interested, start by joining the Miami Chowdown Google Group and you'll soon find your way.