G'day. If you're new here, and you are interested in the Melbourne food and drink scene you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or the email newsletter below. Thanks for visiting and enjoy eating and drinking in Melbourne. Cheers.
I love the idea of this, a pirate underground restaurant run by the diisadent chef. It’s location is constantly changing and there are no constraints of the increasingly fascist health regulations. Known as S.C.D. run by the Dissident Chef it aims to bring a new approach to fine dining in the San Francisco area. I reckon it could work in Melbourne.
According to the Unusual Business Ideas that Work (UBTW) blog:
“The restaurant’s location is always changing because, like prohibition-era speak-easies, underground restaurants are fly-by-night operations, skirting the law to provide divine cuisine. For entrepreneurs hoping to launch full-scale restaurants, the underground can be an excellent training ground. Dissident Chef, the 43-year-old proprietor of San Francisco-based Subculture Dining, found that the underground was a way to indulge his passion for cooking while he got the plans for his traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant off the ground.”
Already in Melbourne there is an element of this happening. For example, with properly hung game regarded as highly illegal by Australian food regulators, pro chefs are cooking meals in peoples homes. I’d quite like to see a scene like this develop with under the counter fresh foie gras (I am told you can get it if you know where to look), unpasteurised cheese, home made charcuterie and perhaps some home made Eau de Vie.
UBTW goes on:
“an underground restaurant has its risks: Operating sans health permits, skirting taxes and such, these roving enterprises are vulnerable to law enforcement shutdowns.”
Bring it on.
I think we may have pirate restaurateur and a pirate sommelier on board. We are now oficially recruiting for a dissident chef in the Melbourne area as well as dissident wait staff and diners.
Interested? All emails responded to.
No related posts.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Ed - 20 years ago - before the authorites decided that our stomachs weren’t allowed to consume the staples of other cultures, this sort of thing was not so dissadent.
The cost of compliance - in the case of food and eating - has been at the cost of culture.
Bring on the dissadents I say - as long as the authorities dont catch me eating it.(or selling it)
..and the first venue could be the The Crimson Permanent Assurance building…
I used to be a dissident waiter. I was trained by an exceptionally talented Italian waiter who used to chase patrons up the street with their tip - if it was unacceptably low - and hand it back to them mockingly. Their expressions were priceless.
Reminds me of a Northern Exposure episode where the main character finally found a secret restaurant that nobody wanted him to know about…NoNo…there is no restaurant here sir.
I have seen these “Bomber Run” restaurants in a few countries and they are fantastic. With Australia’s cost of running a food business, I imagine it would be very successful…especially in Melbourne…if it isn’t already
Best bit would be that its 100% cash…or you walk the plank.
I’ll dine
Steve, so I you are in then.
Ahhhr Pusycat me hearty they’ll be no accountants involved with this good ship.
Kitchen hand - are you willing to reawaken that part of your career?
Andrew, that guy in Northern Exposure was great -reminds me of the guuy who runs Lentil as Anything who lives in a hedge on the beach in Elwood.
Cin, you’re in. maybe this can be the next blogger meet.
Count me in as dissident diner….
Likewise…
Hmm sounds like Ghetto Gourmet. check out this Zingara Cucina - http://www.zingaracucina.com/links.html. Unfortunately, you have to be referred to make a reservation.
I’ll dine too.
And I’m madly trying to find someone who’s done zingara so I can get a recommendation!
Wow, if there are that many interested diners maybe I will go underground.
Think you have found your chef!!
The Dissident Chef’s URL inspires much confidence.
Okay, I think we have some of our first guests and a pretty cool chef. I hadn’t heard of Zingara. I think we all want referals.
Happy to start an alliance with our friends down-under. Let us know what we can do to support you.
Check our website for our latest updates and pictures.
DC
DC
Thanks, I’ll let you know more when we are nearer our first night. Love to visit your place too. Cheers.
Hi there, let me know when your first night is! I have been to Zingara Cucina and it is ACE… melbourne needs more underground restaurants!! bring it on I say!
Penelope
Will do. just getting aound to planning the first night.