From pork belly, served up with squid ink horseradish, pickled cherry, grilled spring onion, and tarragon, to lamb with malt cocoa coffee, meringue, soil, smashed leaves and stems, cherry and beet, feast your eyes upon these delectable dishes from LA-based Wolvesmouth, because you probably won’t ever get to enjoy these one-of-a-kind dishes yourself. Recently profiled in the New Yorker, Wolvesmouth is a secret underground weekly dinner in LA, headed up by chef Craig Thornton, and the hottest ticket in town.
While trends in mainstream dining have moved us from farm-to-table in 2011 to the supper club in 2012, this exemplary display of culinary karma and creativity is, like the best things culture related, from the underground. At Wolvesmouth, which takes place at Thornton’s Wolvesden (his LA-area home), between 9 to 12 diners chosen enjoy a multicourse menu, conceived by Thornton who never prepares a dish the same way twice. And, despite shutdowns from the authorities, Zagat named Thornton to their Top 30 Under 30 Los Angeles-based chefs list this year.
The high demand for this exclusive experience has kept Thornton as creative a problem solver as ever, who chooses guests from hundreds of requests and ingredients according to freshness. Entrepreneurs have taken note of this burgeoning trend: Air BnB founders recently launched gusta.com to connect you to special culinary events locally. Between the impact of social media, the global recession and foodie-ism, it’s evident that Wolvesmouth dinners and the like are a trend that’s here to stay.
