Today, LMS New York correspondent, Taku Noguchi, reports back from JBF LTD’s pop-up dinner with Manresa’s chefs David Kinch and John Paul Carmona. See how Kinch translates his “uniquely California” fine dining restaurant experience into a fleeting meal set in Chelsea Market. Taku grew up in St. Louis and now lives in New York City. He is fascinated by the culture, creativity and chaos of restaurants.

*****A couple of years ago when the economy went south, there was a lot of doomsday talk about the future of fine dining – which of course relies on the deep pockets of the well heeled. Stock pickers predicted that the Burger Kings, Applebee’s and McDonalds of the world would reign supreme. While high-end restaurants struggled, and some unfortunately went under, the challenges of a cash strapped environment also ushered in an incredibly exciting era in the culinary world – one that showcased the resilience and creativity of these businesses and the people who run them. Instead of lying down defeated, restaurants became more nimble and savvy as businesses and chefs focused on innovative ideas to make more out of less, while continuing to move culinary evolution forward.

One interesting trend as of late is the rise of the casually themed “pop-up” restaurant concept, which has become ubiquitous enough to be known simply as Pop-Ups. Pop-ups are like temporary food exhibits – the menus, the people, the location are all only there for a brief run. After that, the space becomes something else – maybe another pop-up, maybe an office, maybe a shoe store. Pop-ups offer patrons unique, playful menus, dinner party style intimacy with elite chefs, and the thrill of participating in an exclusive, fleeting experience. For chefs, the format allows for creative leeway and a fun, different kind of challenge from service in a standard restaurant set up.