This Emerging Dining Trend in the U.S. Turns Restaurants into Cozy Dinner Gatherings

It felt as if I were at a friend’s home. Sitting at a slatted wooden table surrounded by shelves filled with cookbooks, cozy seating, and playful art (is that...framed underwear?), I nearly forgot I was dining in a former beauty-supply warehouse in Atlanta. Chef and ceramist Zach Meloy hosts his weekly supper club, Dirt Church, for a select group — never exceeding 16 guests.

On the night I visited, with my husband by my side, there were four other couples at the table. Like any dinner party with unfamiliar faces, we began with polite small talk, enjoying the crisp and tender split-pea-falafel canapés. By the end of the night, though, we were all laughing as if we were long-time friends.

This approach is intentional: Meloy started Dirt Church in 2023 to move away from the typical hospitality model focused on high turnover. He states, “My main aim is to encourage people to sit together and connect.”

This trend is gaining momentum nationwide, as many small restaurants—often with fewer than 20 seats—prioritize the shared experience as much as the cuisine.

In Cashiers, North Carolina, chef Scott Alderson established Native Prime Provisions in a shopping plaza, nestled between a carpet cleaner and a hair salon. After 25 years as a private chef and consultant, he and his wife, Tania Duncombe, returned to this mountain resort town, where he began his culinary journey. Alderson sought to avoid the pressures of a full-service restaurant while still wanting to prepare meals for guests.

He created an eight-seat counter in his seafood market and butcher shop, now offering lunch five days a week. The menu frequently changes and may feature ahi nigiri from Honolulu or pork belly sliders made with Snake River Farms meat. Dishes are served on artisan pottery, accompanied by smooth jazz in the background.

“There’s no stainless steel here,” Alderson remarks fondly. “This feels like my living room.”

Also exuding a homey atmosphere is One White Street in New York City, located in a TriBeCa townhouse once associated with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. (Although they never lived there, it was the site of the 1973 declaration of the 'country' of Nutopia.) This three-story venue hosts 18 or fewer diners on each level, fostering a friendly, neighborly atmosphere, according to chef Austin Johnson. “The music is lively, it’s enjoyable, and it’s laid-back,” he notes. The menu, driven by the seasons, showcases ingredients from Johnson’s Hudson Valley farm, Rigor Hill, with offerings like seared scallops accompanied by spring greens and hakurei turnips, or Long Island fluke crudo paired with snow peas and carrots.

L’Orange in Portland is a wine-centric restaurant with a cozy capacity of 28, spread across three unique rooms that enhance its intimate atmosphere. Chef Joel Stocks notes, “It really feels like stepping into someone’s home.” His Mediterranean-inspired menu features items like cold-smoked sturgeon, sunchokes, and white beans drizzled with lovage butter. “We embrace that house-party spirit, but with food and wine that are a notch above what you'd find at your own gathering.”

Further up the coast in Seattle, chef Evan Leichtling and partner Meghna Prakash launched their 12-seat restaurant, Off Alley, located, fittingly, in an alley. The narrow space, just over six feet wide, emphasizes natural wines and whole-animal cooking, creating a lively atmosphere where servers shout orders, punk rock blares from the speakers, and guests perch on barstools along the wall.

Prakash describes the ambiance as distinctly “rock and roll.” She adds, “This vibe lets us forge a closer connection with our guests, something that might be harder to achieve in a larger setting.”

This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Dinogo under the title "Small Bites."