Image courtesy of The Underground Kitchen
The Underground Kitchen comes to Alexandria
A truffle-themed dinner at a secret location in Alexandria is set for Oct. 20.
The Underground Kitchen, a one-night pop-up restaurant, is coming to Alexandria Oct. 20.
“UGK Luxury: Ruffled By Truffles,” a pop-up dinner event is the first UGK event in Alexandria this year.
As is tradition with each Underground Kitchen dinner, the exact location for the pop-up event remains a secret, but UGK said it can reveal it will be held "at a city landmark."
Celebrity Chef J. Ponder will feature truffles in six dishes. Foodies, take note: Your understanding of truffles "will be pushed to new levels with Ponder's ability to pair the ingredient in a truly unique cooking style," according to a news release from Richmond-based UGK.
A native of Monroe, Ga., chef Ponder draws his cooking pedigree from a food-loving community that cherishes family recipes. He honed his cooking prowess as a culinary specialist in the U.S. Navy, where he was frequently selected to prepare meals for military and political dignitaries. He now owns Norfolk Kitchen Lab, with outposts in Hampton Roads, Va. and Atlanta. In 2013, chef Ponder appeared on Food Network’s “Chopped,” and in 2015, he won Food Network's “Cutthroat Kitchen.”
UGK Luxury is described as "an exclusive supper club giving members access to a one-night-only five- to seven-course gourmet meal prepared by a premier local chef in an undisclosed location."
That evening’s chef prepares a menu that "pushes their limits of culinary creativity and is uniquely different from their restaurant." Each event’s theme is intricately woven throughout the menu and atmosphere so no two experiences are ever similar.
Tickets listed as "Luxury" will feature six courses, welcoming cocktail and amuse-bouche, premium wine pairings and intimate table settings. Ticket prices range between $150 - $200 per person with a maximum of 40 seats.
- Theme: “UGK Luxury: Ruffled By Truffles”
- Date: Saturday Oct. 20
- Time: 6:30 p.m.: cocktails; 7 p.m.: dinner
- Location: Alexandria (exact location to be revealed)
- Chef: Ponder
Tickets for “Ruffled By Truffles” can be purchased at https://theundergroundkitchen.org/event/ugk-luxury-ruffled-by-truffles-2/
Underground Kitchen is based in Richmond and hosts events up and down the Mid-Atlantic. UGK gives members access to a unique, one-night-only, multi-course pop-up dinner in an undisclosed location with a top chef.
A limited number of people get a ticket, but everyone can register to receive the invite to secure a seat. In the initial invite, few details are divulged: the dinner date, the theme, the chef and a clue about the where the event will be held. That’s it. The exact menu and location are kept secret until a few days before the dinner.
Tickets are all inclusive (meal, wine, and gratuity), and prices vary per event. Tickets are first come, first served.
