Texas Hill Country provides a beautiful backdrop for OneLongTable dinners (Credit: Krista Miller/Lys Photography)
Pop-up dinners and supper clubs are having a resurgence. They’re the perfect chance to experience an exceptional dinner that isn’t normally available. They’ll also take you out of your comfort zone by placing you in a setting filled with new friends, delicious food, and stories to share long afterwards.
Thank you to OneLongTable for hosting me at their recent dinner. All opinions are my own.
Inspiring Union Leads to Pop-up Dinner Concept
Jeff and Vanessa Darby (center) turned their love for entertaining into a business (Credit: SD Imagery)
Jeff and Vanessa Darby, founders of OneLongTable, tied the knot in 2015 in Texas Hill Country. Jeff Darby is a seasoned home cook and restaurant attorney, and Vanessa Darby owned a wedding planning business before having children.
Together, they moved from family dinners to planning meals for a local winery. Finding success and enjoyment from their culinary ventures, they decided to create a business around pop-up dinners.
Vanessa Darby stresses their wedding day was a big inspiration, “When we decided to begin this venture, one of our first decisions was a name for the business. I told Jeff I wasn’t sure about the name, but I knew that for every dinner, I wanted the guests to sit at one long table–just like our wedding. He said, ‘There’s the name. OneLongTable.'”
What to Expect From OneLongTable
OneLongTable’s team loves to entertain (Credit: Tyler Schmitt)
On average, OneLongTable hosts one dinner a month (skipping July and August due to hot summer temperatures). Events are mostly located just outside Austin city limits, but they’re taken place as far west as Hye and as far east as Rosanky, near Bastrop. Guests may gather at ranches, private residences, wineries, city parks, or event venues.
OneLongTable hosts regular dinners at Star Hill Ranch as part of the Downtown at Star Hill Ranch Guest Chef Dinner Series. These events feature chefs and their restaurants in downtown Austin, in a Texas Hill Country setting.
Different chefs offer their own styles of cooking for OneLongTable guests to enjoy. This poke was made by Chef Shane Stark of Mongers Market + Kitchen. (Credit: Tyler Schmitt/The Mill Photography Studio)
Four “Secret Suppers” take place throughout the year. These are especially fun, since Jeff Darby typically cooks and the dinners are more intimate, usually between 20 and 25 guests. They’re “secret” in that guests buy tickets, but don’t know the location until a few days before the dinner. The menu is kept completely confidential until guests arrive!
➡️ Keep reading: “3 Austin Supper Clubs Foster Foodie Knowledge and Friendships”
OneLongTable’s focus on providing beautifully curated experiences, paired with delectable dinners, makes for a combination one won’t forget.
@theAustinot wants to know:
Have you ever been to a supper club or pop-up dinner in Austin?
We’ve been to a few of the OneLongTable events. The fine-dining menus are delicious, the ambiance superb, and events are a bargain for a unique experience!
I had the priviledge of meeting Vanessa & Jeff last year and have co-hosted a dinner with them. They are two of the most passionate and hard working visionaries I’ve ever met. The 6 course meal they served at our event was exceptional and the unity of the guest was a beautiful thing to watch. I’m excited about 2018 with OneLongTable!