Locally, the UR phenomenon has been gaining momentum. The clandestine chef responsible for introducing locals to the concept just held his 11th monthly dinner (by my count), this one an all-vegetarian affair inside a wine cellar in an upcasle cottage in Augusta (more details here.) With locations like that and press like this (here and here), it's no wonder the dinner sold out within 12 hours of its announcement.
To date, one constant--and a major selling point--of UR's is the ever-changing venues. Until the day of the event, diners are not aware of its exact location, which only adds to the hype and to the mystique. (When I learned last weekend's dinner was held in a wine cellar--on a 90 degree night, no less-- my first reaction was: "Damn, I missed a good one.")
There's now a new player in the game--and he's changed the rules. Stone Soup Cottage will offer dinner 3 nights a week (plus Sunday brunch) at a fixed location in Cottleville--a charming, fairy-tale 1850's farmhouse, to be exact. The food and wine premise--a fixed tasting menu at a fixed price with optional paired wines--is similar to other UR dinners, although here there's an option for adding more courses. The emphasis at SSC is on seasonal (and often rare) ingredients and on unusual preparations.
It's owned and operated by Carl McConnell, a well-traveled and renowned chef, and his wife Nancy, who seized an opprotunity to create "a unique dining experience." Whether you call it "legalized underground," as the McConnell's do, or just the newest concept in dining out, it matters not. What's relevant is that it's progressive and it's different. So this weekend, if it's culinary fireworks you're after, Stone Soup Cottage may provide some ooh's and aah's. -- George Mahe
