Project Studio Supper Club, Triangle

To taste Portia Brown and Wayne Brooks' epicurean creations, you first need to know the secret location. They don't call one kitchen home, but host pop-up dinners throughout the DMV area. Each event is at a new location—including private homes and clubs—which is only revealed close to its date and to those who have reserved a space. The details of the menu are always a surprise, too, but the expert chefs specialize in modern takes on classic French dishes. A typical atypical meal delights guests with four- to seven-course meals paired with wine and inventive cocktails. They keep their events small to connect with their diners on a personal level and engage them in the food, while also fostering bonds among guests without playing ice-breaking games of Musical Chairs.

Portia and Wayne's elite training backs up their efforts in exclusivity: they have both mastered their crafts at Michelin-star restaurants in New York, and Portia graduated as valedictorian of The Art Institute of Washington and Wayne hails from Johnson & Wales. They developed Project Studio Supper Club to "redefine the creation of edible art." A quick glance at their masterpieces shows that the duo has achieved that goal. Their plates are painted in bright yellow sauces, lacy foams, spindly nests of sprouts, and steak centers so rare they glow a deep crimson.