Scoop: Members-only dining club coming to buzzy Twin Cities restaurants
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Tasting Collective will hold its first event later this month. Photo: Nat Gelb/Tasting Collective
An exclusive national dining club is partnering with some of the metro's buzziest restaurants for off-the menu five-course meals that could run guests less than $100 per person.
The big picture: Bûcheron, Hyacinth and Oro by Nixta will host the first three events by Tasting Collective, a New York-based dining club that partners with local chefs at top restaurants to serve five-course meals at $75 per person before tax and tip.
- Marketed as the "anti-Yelp," the events offer chefs a chance to test out new recipes while obtaining constructive, collaborative feedback from diners in private, Tasting Collective CEO Nat Gelb told Axios.
- The company, launched in 2016, operates in 18 other cities.
How it works: To gain access to the events, guests must be a member of Tasting Collective (normally $165 per year outside of promotions). All proceeds from ticketed events go directly to the restaurants, Gelb said.
- The club will hold at least one dining event per month — typically on nights restaurants would otherwise be closed — and diners have access to the menu before purchasing tickets.
- Members can also bring up to three guests for $95 per person.
What they're saying: "We definitely aren't the kind of place with the same set menu, and this gives us a chance to share new dishes and the stories behind them with people who are really excited about food," said Jeanie Janas Ritter, co-owner of Bûcheron.
What to expect: Chefs will join diners around three times throughout the five-course meal to share details on dishes, and guests are given comment cards to weigh in on each item.
- Many dinners will have communal seating if the space allows, though patrons can request private or smaller tables. Drinks are priced a la carte, but wine pairings are available at some events, including Bûcheron's, Ritter confirmed.
Stop by: Memberships to Tasting Collective are open now, with the first event to be held at Bûcheron Feb. 25.
- The first 500 to sign up in the Twin Cities get a lifetime discounted rate of $99 a year and access to events in 18 other cities, Gelb said.