I recently found out about an underground restaurant in Toronto – yes I am a bit behind (apparently the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star wrote about it about a year ago!). It’s all very cloak and dagger. Even their website is vague charlieburger.com. You enter your email on their website and they send you a questionnaire. You have to apply to be invited. Sounds interesting, so I applied. I had to wait about a day and half to be invited. My application was rather foodie-ish, so we wondered if they allow anyone in, so JT applied (using his Dad’s email) with rather ordinary answers – it’s been three weeks and still no response. Sorry JT, they do review the applications. The first menu will be served tomorrow, at an unknown location, of course. It’s a bit pricier than anticipated, so I passed ($180pp, but it’s Jamie Kennedy who is cooking, and he’s had a bit of bad luck lately!).
This is the application email:
The Anti-Restaurant is about the food experience first. It is
not-for-profit, so the costs involved resume their proper place as
something simply incidental to the event.
WHEN? At random intervals.
WHERE? At random locations.
WHO?S COOKING? A Chef who CAN and still loves to someone whose love of a kickass meal
has not been dulled by soul-crushing food and beverage managers and
bean counters someone creative, innovative and fun. We’ve got along
list here in Toronto but more suggestions are welcome.
HOW MUCH? Total cost of food divided by number of attendees our goal is to keep
it around $75 – $150 per person.
WINE? Paired appropriately.
DRESS CODE? No, but we don’t want your chest hair in the salad, got it?
WHO? FOOD LOVERS. No screwing around. If you can’t/won’?t eat certain
things, this is probably not for you. Chef rules. This isn’t Fear
Factor but there will be meat, seafood, raw stuff, and occasionally
something from outside the mainstream experience. Duh, that’s the
point of the Anti-Restaurant.
HOW DO I GET IN? Pay attention.
Email us back with your answers to the questions below. If you are for
real, we put you on the potential invitee’s list
If you get in, one day you will receive an e-vite notifying you that
Charlie is having dinner. This e-vite will indicate the chef’s name,
cost, and menu. Those who RSVP first get in, another small group will
get stand-by status. Either way you will get an email confirming your
status.
You will be able to RSVP for you +1. If you want to get 15 of your
friends in, you can’t- they’ll have to go through the process; Just
like you are doing now?
If you can’t make it please do not email saying just that. If we don’t
hear from you we will assume you are busy. Please don’t worry, you
will NOT be removed from the list unless you want to be.
Please make sure that you can actually attend when you
RSVP!!!!!!!!RSVP-ing before checking your schedule and then canceling
is frowned upon.
IMPORTANT! NO-SHOWS will NOT be tolerated. If you can’t make it,
contact us in advance so we can give it to a stand-by. Failure to show
this sort of basic decency gets you on the blacklist seriously, no
more burgers for you.
Name (first and last) & email (again)& best number to reach you to
reconfirm the day of the event
What is your occupation?
Where did you hear about us?
What are your 3 favourite restaurants in Toronto?
What would your last meal on earth be?
Anything else you want to tell us about yourself? Please don’t tell us
you like food and cooking. Get creative and don’t be shy
If you know anyone who loves food and eating well please refer them to
http://www.charliesburgers.ca
NOTE: Please check your junk mail folder as sometimes our
correspondences get filtered out.
CB Team
JT found this article – I will NOT be RSVPing to Bug Meals!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/waiter-theres-a-bug-in-my-soup/article1445207/Show up. Eat, drink, pay your share, go home and dream about the next one.
Some more appealing dinners: http://www.tasteto.com/2009/03/31/can-you-keep-a-secret/
Kitcheninspirations 