Covers is an underground dinner club in San Francisco where — now stay with me here — “covers” of famous chefs’ signature dishes are paired with thematically-appropriate cover songs. Sponsored by Bay Area’s Noise Pop music festival, Covers is only one of many recent hipster foodie efforts to connect fine dining with fine tunes. The Bay Citizen gives us a taste:
“The beef represents Dylan’s leathery exterior – the man is 70, after all – and the seaweed and soy provide heavy notes that pair well with his raspy voice,” said (Covers founder Blair) Warsham, whose events aim to match wide-ranging musical selections with complementary dinner entrees…
While restaurants have long had musical accompaniments, and concerts have long had food concessions, the current endeavors exhibit a new level of cross-pollination between music and food obsessives.
Musicians like M. Ward, co-author of a blog dedicated to crème brûlée, and members of the local band Vetiver have given lengthy interviews about their food interests. Summer festivals like Outside Lands, taking place in August at Golden Gate Park, advertise extensive creative food offerings, while the San Francisco Street Food Festival, also in August, boasts a large roster of hip-hop DJs and live bands…
“Obviously, you’ve got the total punk aesthetic of the working kitchen, with the cursing, staying up until 4 a.m., the drugs and everything,” said Dawson Ludwig, marketing director for Noise Pop. “But it’s more than that. Good music and good food are total indulgence, both providing fulfilling sensual experiences.”
“Mixtapes for Meals: The New World of Music Pairings“
“What Sounds like Dessert? Local Chefs and Musicians Recommend Pairings“