Columbia University student Jonah Reider has had a lot of press surrounding his pop-up restaurant, Pith, which has been located in his dorm-room. For four nights a week, he served four diners a five to eight-course dinner prepared in the common kitchen. Reservations were taken via Yelp and have been open to both students and ‘randos’.
But what will happen now he has graduated? Well, Reider, now 22, is planning big things.
“I’m planning an event for an Australian rapper. I’m going to order 200 Two Brothers pizza crusts, like, just the crusts, and make a bunch of really nice sauces and toppings. Then, guests will make their pizzas, and naked models will walk around who will be painted with the sauces, and then during the performance, the rapper will be doused in the sauces too, she will be standing against white sheets, which will turn into artwork,” said Reider.
His Instagram account displays photos of courses like Scallop Crudo with Meyer lemon, chive, rhubarb and black salt, and olive toast with bone marrow, onion-sherr-sumac jam and garlic scrapes, all hashtagged with terms like #danklicious. His talents earned him a month-long internship at Intro in Chicago. His ultimate goal is to change up the restaurant norm and construct a new way for chefs, diners and artists to engage with food.
