The Birth of EWI: August 1st, 2009

Sitting in my girlfriend's West Village Apartment last August, I decided that there simply had to be a better way to meet fabulous, like-minded food enthusiasts. There had to be a better way to set-up dinner parties for people who would actually appreciate the cuisine.

Searching for answers on the Internet (I know, always the best place to look for answers!) I stumbled across the wild world of underground supper clubs. I was intrigued by the "speak-easy" style dining experience. I also stumbled across several bland looking diners clubs, basically a generic group that meets at various restaurants so they don't have to ask for a table for one. I decided to turn to seriouseats.com and scour the boards for other culinarians who might have an underground supper club I could join. I wanted a group where cooking was as big a part of the experience as dining out.

I found one post asking for members, but it was a year old. Not to be detoured, I thought for a moment, and then started a post of my own. It was a call to other New Yorkers who wanted to come together in the celebration of food, cooking and possibly illegal underground restauranturing!

The responses were varied, some criticizing the idea that I would try to organize an "underground club" in an open forum. Nonetheless, the next morning "avideater", a take-charge blogger from my post, had congregated 7 people in some online corral and they were ready and waiting to do this thing!

The type-A superpower of Kaitlin (aka "avideater") and I brought everything together and by the next Sunday we were sipping wine with the first seven members of Eating With Impunity. Our group designed a club where a passion for food is the only requirement, where restaurant tastings and dinner parties get equal billing. The eclectic group of individuals who make-up this special group are bound by passion and energized by diversity.

All it took was an open invitation for a culinary family to be born.