StudioKitchen (2002-2007)

[wkl]

i can open it, but it takes awhile.

[brucedelta]

Anyone else having a problem opening the blog?  Wonder if we crashed the server! 

ETA: Finally got it to load.  YIPPEE!

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It seesm to be a problem only the first time it is loaded becasue it needs to get the pictures in the cache. The photos are high resolution so they take a while.

At least I think that is the issue.

[alwang]

So, it looks like Shola's doing another guest chef gig, this time at M Restaurant:

http://studiokitchen.typepad.com/studiokit...6/m_dinner.html

Unfortunately, my girlfriend's not available that night, and I don't know too many foodies in Philly these days. I'll eat alone but I'd prefer not to: anyone interested in meeting up? PM or reply here...

[Alonna Smith]

So, it looks like Shola's doing another guest chef gig, this time at M Restaurant:

http://studiokitchen.typepad.com/studiokit...6/m_dinner.html

Unfortunately, my girlfriend's not available that night, and I don't know too many foodies in Philly these days.  I'll eat alone but I'd prefer not to: anyone interested in meeting up?  PM or reply here...

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I called Restaurant M for the 13th and they said they are fully booked already for that night. Hopefully there will be more Shola/restaurant pairings in the near future.

[philadining]

I heard a rumor that there could be more of these in the future. I'm not sure there's anything concrete scheduled, but given that this one at M sold out quickly by word-of-mouth, as did the Apamate event, one would think that there's a good motivation for doing more... Fingers crossed!

[jwjon1]

Fingers crossed indeed! Thanks for the potential heads up Philadining! I'd love to hear if any of these rumors come to fruition... and hopefully in time for me to get my foot in the door.

[Buckethead]

Fingers crossed indeed!  Thanks for the potential heads up Philadining!  I'd love to hear if any of these rumors come to fruition... and hopefully in time for me to get my foot in the door.

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Keep your eye on Shola's blog. I called Restaurant M on Saturday evening after seeing his post this past Friday giving the date of the dinner, I got a spot.

I have also heard that this probably won't be the last time he does this type of thing.

[Holly Moore]

I'm curious if Shola is able to approach such dinners the same as he did with his Studio Kitchen masterpieces. Or are there limitations when cooking away from Studio Kitchen and for larger crowds - i.e. Local rather than flown in ingredients, techniques that do not translate well from 8 to 50 or mroe diners, limitations on creativity if he has to shoot for a lower common denominator with a relatively unknown audience.

Edited June 6, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[philadining]

The Apamate dinner was somewhere in-between: it was certainly recognizable as Shola's cooking, but as you suggest, issues of scale/timing, a different kitchen, even different tableware, made the experience something different, not quite the meticulous polished-diamond effect of SK.

I suspect the food at the M dinner will be closer to the StudioKitchen standard, SK-esque, perhaps. That said, nothing will be able to replicate the magic quotient of the communal table, the close interaction with the chef, the attention to detail that was possible with smaller numbers at SK.

Still, I'll bet the M dinner will get pretty close to that ideal. We'll see!

[Holly Moore]

More than diner perception I was wondering if Shola feels he has had to adapt his style, ingredients and techniques due to a larger audience.

[Buckethead]

I suspect the food at the M dinner will be closer to the StudioKitchen standard, SK-esque, perhaps. That said, nothing will be able to replicate the magic quotient of the communal table, the close interaction with the chef, the attention to detail that was possible with smaller numbers at SK. 

Still, I'll bet the M dinner will get pretty close to that ideal.  We'll see!

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You can see now, the menu is up on Shola's blog:

http://studiokitchen.typepad.com/studiokit...m_dinner_1.html

[philadining]

Yep, and that menu's pretty straight-up SK, so we'll see how it translates to a larger crowd!

[Diann]

More than diner perception I was wondering if Shola feels he has had to adapt his style, ingredients and techniques due to a larger audience.

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I don't want to speak for Shola, but my guess is that to a minor extent his techniques are modified due to the size of the crowd and the requirements/demands of restaurant service -- there are no racks of rabbit requiring surgical precision (can you imagine serving 50 of those?!), pucks of cauliflower ice cream created on an antigriddle, etc.

At the same time, the menu for the M dinner is, like Phil said, classic SK fare. I think it's a preview of what to expect if Shola ever decides to open a restaurant himself. It's gonna be deelicious...

PS. I just noticed he put pistachio ice cream on the menu -- awesome! My ranking of pistachio ice creams/gelatos in Philadelphia goes (1) Shola (2) Osteria (3) Capogiro, a distant third.

[philadining]

... My ranking of pistachio ice creams/gelatos in Philadelphia goes (1) Shola (2) Osteria (3) Capogiro, a distant third.

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I have to agree with that ranking, and I really like the Capogiro pistachio gelato.

[adamru]

I guess there's no Dining Friends forum, so I'll post here. My date can't make Shola's dinner at M on Wednesday, so if any one person can't get a reservation and would like to join me for dinner, by all means message me as I can't bear to cancel and none of my friends are crazy enough to drive down from NYC with me.

[philadining]

Discussion of the M Dinner here>>

 

[Moderator note: The original StudioKitchen topic became too large for our servers to handle efficiently, so we've divided it up; the following part of this discussion is here: StudioKitchen (2008-)]