Jonah Reider is a student of sociology and economics at Columbia University. He recently opened a restaurant named Pith, what makes it so cool is that it’s within the confines of the University. Pith is open for four nights a week and takes reservations online. Pith is currently booked through mid-November and it’s getting massive attention from foodies not just in attendance Columbia, but from people all over NYC. He explained to GrubStreet: “I recognize how presumptuous it is to casually cook and get so much attention.” Let’s see how far he can take this.
Jonah started the small bistro by working out of his dorm room’s communal kitchen. His table had room for four, and one day he realized the potential literally sitting at his table. The idea is to improve his craft while hanging out with friends and meeting new people.
The idea is that visitors contribute between $10 and $20 to accommodate for the cost of groceries and his valiant efforts in the kitchen. It’s one of the hottest pop-up restaurants in NYC and it’s that cheap. Seriously, this is an incredible happening.
The Pith dining experience, Reider said, is meant to be a social one. He encourages students to sign up in groups of groups of three or four, although groups of two are allowed.
Jonah often welcomes the guests with a cheese board
Image Credit : Columbia Spectator
Hogan Hall, Suite 4B is where you can find Reider whipping up delicacies for diners.
Image Credit : Columbia Spectator
Jonah serves the second course to his guests
Image Credit : Columbia Spectator
A braised celery root soup.
Image Credit : Columbia Spectator
While the dinners can take a while to prepare, Reider said that being a senior with a smaller workload has worked in his favor.
“This is not sustainable at all except for the fact that I’m in my last year of college and can spend two hours chilling and cooking dinner,” he said.
But to Reider, the long hours behind the pop-up restaurant are worth it—he gets to experiment with cooking and simultaneously meet students he would have never met before. He sits down with all his visitors after cooking.
“There’s no curtain between the kitchen and the living room, and I’m not in an apron or something,” Reider said. “And it’s very much intended to be, whoever comes over will have a great time and hopefully will spend some time with me, too.”
Although he’s cooking most evenings, every night at Pith is unique for Reider, offering different company and different food.
“It’s an experience that is never going to happen again with the same people and same food at the same time,” he said. “I think with good cooking, or good eating, you should just experience all these things that you just never thought you could before.” – Colombia Spectator reports.