Open Fires, Friendship Bracelets, and Further Food Stuffs: A New Pop-Up

Do you like "thought-provoking, sustainable food" and "straight-forward cocktails that don't take themselves too seriously"? How about "friendship bracelets and cooking over open fire"? If so, sit up and pay attention to a brand new pop-up called Further Food Stuffs, courtesy of Dan Amighi (La Brasa, Ribelle, Strip-T's, Bondir) and Patrick Gaggiano (Viale, Brick & Mortar, La Brasa, Trina's Starlite Lounge). They'll debut on Tuesday, February 17 in the La Brasa marketplace with a twenty-seat dinner that kicks off with bubbly and bivalves.

The pop-up, which has been brewing in the duo's minds for a couple of years now, is "the distillation of what [their] friendship is," says Amighi.

"Dan's the first friend I had in Boston, back when we opened Bondir," Gaggiano recounts. "He and I became quick friends because we enjoyed dining experiences where you go out, lose track of time, courses come and go, bottles come and go — an escape from your daily routine. Experiences rather than dinners. We stayed friends and overlapped in some working establishments, cultivating our style, what we like, and our flavor profiles, things of that nature. We share a similar attitude, and we've talked about this for a couple years now: Wouldn't it be fun if we could do a pop-up together and showcase what we think a dining experience could be and should be?"

The chance arose, and they grabbed the opportunity to launch their project with an event in the cozy La Brasa marketplace with its "cabin-y, sort of lumberjack feel." (Other related things that the duo likes, according to Twitter: "Dark whiskey. White lies. Beards. Woods.")

The February 17 event will include an oyster-and-bubbly reception (showcasing West Coast oysters) followed by five courses (complete with cocktail pairings), including a "very focused" bread course (with "really nice" condiments) and a dessert. The courses won't be ultra-formal in terms of timing; it'll be more of "you're in our home," dinner party type of a feel rather than a "here's the first drink, here's the first course, hurry up and finish your drink because here comes the next one, gotta clear your plate for the second course now" type of dinner. Relax and sit back, bids Gaggiano. "It's a Tuesday. The new weekend."

Along those lines, the duo recommends taking a cab or Uber. "You're not going to leave hungry," they promise. "And you're not going to leave sober." Tickets are $75 per person and available now on Eventbrite.

As for the future of Further Food Stuffs? "If anybody shows up, hopefully there will be more to come," says Amighi.