67. popFood

Menus from popFood restaurants and Mothers Day brunches, with dishes inspired by restaurants chosen by Dalton students.

“Originally a one semester class, the course was designed around the nascent pop-up culture in the culinary world. These are restaurant concepts that are not designed to last forever, but rather are temporary establishments. Pop-up food events have been executed in temporary structures, places that are going to be torn down, outdoor or seasonal locations, and even in subways and public places.

The program has grown significantly since its inception, but in every iteration there has been a restaurant inspired by a restaurant chosen by students. We study the cuisine and environment of that restaurant, and then build a one-night-only restaurant based on our impression. In 2012, the first restaurant was inspired by Ottolenghi in London.”
—Charles Forster Stewert, popFood and High School Computer Teacher

“One evening, after a long class of trying out different recipes and just weeks before our restaurant opening, I sat down with the rest of the winter restaurant team to enjoy that night’s family meal: chicken and vegetable paella that I had cooked with Mr. Sloan.

This scene perfectly encapsulates popFood: the combination of exploring ingredients and recipes, working as a team to orchestrate “pop-up” restaurants, and, most importantly, bringing together a warm and welcoming community.

Many view popFood as “that restaurant” that is put on some time during the winter and maybe a bread bakery as well. But to me, and to everyone else who is involved in the program, popFood is so much more. It’s about testing out fifteen different ways to make a flavored butter or walking into class one night only to realize you’re going to make an entire pork shoulder. It’s about realizing that you ordered hundreds of servings of the wrong ingredient, and then trying to alter the menu to adjust. It’s about taping up that same curtain in the cafeteria ten times, only to realize there was a hook on the side of the wall all along.

While I no longer do those things myself, I still get to go back to the pop-up restaurants and shops and I fondly remember when it was me on the other side of the table.”
—Emily Cohen ’16