For those looking beyond the typical dining experience wherein one enters a restaurant and is served a prepared meal, Hudson Table in Stamford may be the solution they”™ve been seeking.
First established in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 2014, Hudson Table has since expanded to three more locations in three different states, its latest opening being in Stamford in November.
Occupying retail space at The Hazel, a residential building in 44 John St. in Harbor Point, Hudson Table aims to foster a communal dining experience, one which varies by offering fresh and new activities each visit.
Customers who obtain tickets are provided with cooking demonstrations and hands-on classes in which chefs and guests closely interact with one another. Guests then put their newly found skills to use then and there, crafting their own meals with the aid and supervision of the chef.
Currently, Hudson Table has a café which is open from Thursday to Saturday with an eye for having it operate the entire work week, from Monday to Friday. Tickets may also be purchased for special dining events such as open houses and chef competitions, and private events can also be scheduled for parties.
Owner and founder Allen Bari”™s ambition in Stamford mirrors his previous goals in prior locations, namely by “activating the space and having a lot of people walking past us and building a name in Stamford so that people think of us for interactive dining experiences, private events, catering services.”
Part of Bari”™s vision for the restaurant is to see stronger connections form between customers and chefs, more so than in standard restaurant environments.
“It”™s kind of fun to eat directly from the mind of the person who created it,” he said. “I think the big thing is reconnecting customers to the chefs because I would say with your classic restaurant, you have an executive chef, a sous chef, line cook and then a waiter. By the time it gets to you, you”™re five degrees of separation from the actual person creating the menu item that you”™re eating.”
These days, the public might be highly receptive to being part of such a connection. Bari has noticed a significant uptick as of late in attendance, which he attributed to people wanting to engage in close social interactions as offered at his restaurants, having been disconnected due to years of isolation brought on from the pandemic.
Equally as attractive for individuals wanting a break from the norm is Hudson Table”™s approach toward its menu ”” or rather, menus. Unlike most restaurants with a static, single menu, Hudson Table chefs craft new menus for each occasion.
“We don”™t have Hudson Table menus or anything like that,” Bari said, adding that for dining events, “the chef who”™s cooking that night created that menu, and the cool thing is you”™ll likely never see that menu again,” referring to the roughly 150 menus the restaurant rotates through.
With regards to alcoholic offerings, Bari and his team are brainstorming what he feels are fun ideas for guests.
“We definitely want to do some tasting menus with wine pairings,” he said.
On Jan. 7, there will be a hands-on class ”” a couples”™ night out featuring Chef Gabriel Sather who shall, along with his guests, cook Mexican food such as antojito platters and churros. On Jan. 13, Chef Sather and Chef Koray Karakilic will square off in a three-course competition, an experience Bari likens to watching cook-off show “Iron Chef.” Customers will act as judges, observing the chefs prepare dishes for them to eat based on “mystery ingredients.”
