By Tastings. l Bespoke Events & Culinary experiences

Members-Only Dinner Club Tasting Collective Makes New Orleans Debut | Eater New Orleans

"A members-only dinner club that stages five-course, dinner-party-style events at restaurants on nights they’re closed or slow, Tasting Collective operates in about a dozen U.S. cities (including Houston, New York, and D.C.). Its goal is to “create a stage” for chefs to experiment and “put on a show,” with chefs coming out to introduce each course, tell stories about their process, and participate in a Q&A during dessert while diners provide direct, constructive feedback via cards that are handed to the chefs after the event — Gelb calls it “essentially the anti-Yelp.” All event profit goes to the restaurants, which keeps tickets reasonably priced (about $60 for a five-course meal); memberships cost $165 per year (first 500 New Orleans members can join at $99), only members can buy tickets, events run every two to three weeks (roughly 20–30 dinners a year), guests are welcome for an extra $25, and the club — launched in New York City in 2016 by Nat Gelb — aims to give diners a behind-the-scenes, interactive experience with top chefs." - Clair Lorell