“Beautiful things occur when you bring friends together around food,” explained Hila. We sat down at the table for a long time, with bouquets full of flowers in bloom, Billie Holiday playing in the background, and the space was softly lit by candles that were lit by votive candles. Another perfect foodie night out in New York. It was not the most recent Manhattan restaurant but an apartment in Brooklyn where I sat at the table with several strangers enjoying dinner. Hila was our hostess and our waitress, chef, busboy, cook, and dishwasher. She operated a restaurant for one woman in her home through EatWith.
Home Chefs are an integral part of the Experience.
Hila was once an executive chef from Italy. However, her deep passion for food comes directly from childhood. She says her desirable memories are of her family getting together over a meal. She was raised in Israel and continues to carry that Middle Eastern culture of ‘visiting over food’ even today. I loved learning about her many backgrounds and life as a Third Culture Kid. When I asked her why she decided to begin hosting dinner parties with eat with locals, she replied, “I love the idea of hosting dinner parties and having people interact in the real world. I’m more traditional. I think social media is destroying interactions and socializing in person, and I’ve always wanted to return to the real world of interactions.”
What are the kinds Of People Who Eat with Locals?
Everyone was introduced at the table, and I was shocked to discover a table packed with locals. I had hoped there would be more tourists using the unique Experience offered by locals, but there was only one person! Hila stated that based on her Experience, around 30% of people who patronize EatWith in New York City are tourists; however, it varies between cities. It’s true that this isn’t an odd New York City thing; EatWith hosts guests from all over the globe.
The At-Home Menu
Hila took in the conversation and participated whenever she could in the kitchen, putting the final touches on the food. She came out with platters of food and explained each before placing it in the center of her table. Many of them were family recipes with a story tied to them.
She served a selection of Mediterranean dishes that were exquisite:
Hummus & Labneh
Pine nuts and tomato salad
Burek filled with spinach baby, butternut squash roasted and honeyed goat cheese.
A seafood bouillabaisse inspired by Marseilles featuring shrimp, scallops, mussels, and sea bass in the leek, red wine, and garlic broth
Lemon and the herb Quinoa
Arugula salad made with hazelnuts, and cauliflower that has been roasted with truffle oil vinaigrette
Dark chocolate pot-de-creme containing Coconut milk caramel, spiced Pear syrup and spices
I felt obsessed with the recipe for the pot de creme that she sent me the recipe.
How can you use EatWith during your next vacation?
Visit EatWith.com and enter cities in the area that you’ll be visiting. An event calendar will pop up, which is provided by hosts. Please go through them and decide what interests you. They range from brunch and wine tastings to dinners. Check out the reviews of hosts and read the descriptions to determine if they are a good match for you. Check out the reviews and ensure you are at ease with your host. After that, sign up and pay the amount. The confirmation email will be sent to you, and the host will call you through the website and give you extra information and directions. Hila was great in encouraging me to attend the dinner I had arranged!
If you’re terrified of visiting someone else’s home for dinner, that’s normal. However, every EatWith host is subject to a rigorous selection procedure to warrant the safety and quality of their host before being approved for inclusion on the website. If you see the “EatWith Verified “EatWith confirmed” icon, you know that an EatWith Team member or a trusted person has personally checked all aspects of your EatWith experience, including host home, food, and host. However, as with any crowdsourcing platform, user reviews and comments are the most important. A significant part in assisting potential guests in judging hosts and determining the best EatWith experience they want to try.
Are you interested in becoming an EatWith Host?
If you like meeting new people and hosting dinner parties, this could be a fantastic option to satisfy your social food desires. Hosts such as Hila do this for the sheer pleasure of meeting people from all over the world and NYC and chatting with them over food.
She believes that “The meal isn’t as important as the social aspect, providing guests the opportunity to interact and meet each other while relaxing in a warm and cozy setting with a relaxing dinner. Because I am an expert in Creative Consulting and a Life Coach, I was only interested in hosting events regularly. In this way, I can make a profit on each meal I prepare, and by being aware of the overhead cost and planning my menu, I can earn a modest profit which covers some of the time into the preparation.” Many who have multiple events earn more money, but as with everything else, you must start knowing your objectives, whether for pleasure or profit.
I left the evening with brand new business cards, ideas for the events I should attend in NYC, a full stomach, and a fresh recipe. Hila was right. Beautiful things happened to me that evening over a meal.
