Dinner Lab

I’m conflicted. Attended the «San Francisco» dinner lab which was actually held in Oakland, which we only discovered the day before when the location was revealed. Once we got over the added distance to get there and what felt a bit like «bait and switch», we really enjoyed the evening. The warehouse space was interesting and inviting, the service was friendly (there could have been a bit better flow on the time between servings), the experience was unique, and the whole event felt creative and artsy, though a tad disorganized. I love creativity in cooking, even if the risk doesn’t always pay off. Each of the dishes we were served got highest rankings for creativity, unique combinations of flavors and textures. The biggest winner was the beef tartare, which had a similar preparation and flavor profile to ahi tuna poke. The pairing of the shrimp chips was perfect. We all agreed we’d order this again. The savory egg custard dish was the most dramatic combination of flavors and textures, sweet, salty, crunchy creamy. Mine came out lukewarm, my friend’s was served hot. Our opinions on this dish were mixed as were they on the curried Kabocha squash. We all felt the chicory salad was a bit too bitter, but enjoyed the pomelo purée accompaniment. The dessert was excellent with, again, surprising flavor combinations and textures. None of this sat too well with the woman down at the end of the table, who we watched not eat anything. This would be a challenging environment if you’re not an adventurous eater. Wine, beer, and their cocktail creation of the night, and all gratuities were included which made it a pretty good deal when all was said and done. I feel like there could have been a bit more thought going into the wine, and what would pair with the dishes. There were wild inconsistencies in the 3 different cabernets we tasted — from passable to not so great. We’d consider doing this again for a special occasion.

My problem with the San Diego chapter is that they don’t tell you that the $ 175 membership fee is an annual charge. When I found that out several days after joining and before I attended any of their dinners, I asked for a refund, which they initially refused.
However, a short time later Jesse, the customer service rep for the San Diego Dinner Lab chapter, sent me an E-​mail and has promised to refund my membership fee.
Thank you Jesse

I’ve attended five Dinner Labs, all at Invention Hub. I really enjoyed the food, beverages, ambiance, chefs, wait staff, and company of other patrons. Why not five stars? There has been a lull for several months now of a new chefs competition. As a result the dinners are not every week, and when they do occur, the menus sound less than exciting. I’m hoping they will start offering weekly dinners again soon with similar caliber nationwide chefs as before. But last week they offered a Tues night dinner with someone who formerly worked at State Bird. Sounds like they are really in a slow lull if they have to host the dinner on the night off of a local chef (and on top of that, State Bird is average because dishes are hit-​or-​miss, and even the hits aren’t home runs). I am keeping my fingers crossed that my last remaining months of Dinner Lab membership don’t run dry like the CA drought.