Where To Find Gourmet Marijuana Dinners
Why cheffy weed-infused meals are such a hit (sorry)
When you think edibles, you might revisit (or not) a post-brownie coma. Now on the heels of those making gourmet edibles snacks comes a new wave of people dedicating an entire cuisine to the hemp.
We pair other vices with our meals—food, wine, etc.—so it only makes sense that marijuana get the same treatment. According to Fast Company, for chefs involved in this business, including a handful of well-known pros that have joined the scene, it's "no different from a bottle of Pinot Noir." Maybe it's the excitement of it, the "will this socket really electrocute me" attitude.
One place getting in on the, er, budding weed-based meal business is The Herbal Chef in L.A., where guests help drive the menu based off a questionnaire about food preferences. It has all the buzzwords that might steer you toward any modern restaurant, like produce from local farms (including the chef's garden) and dry-aged grass-fed beef. But don't expect to walk into one of these dinners and get smacked in the face with a cloud of smoke. Dishes are made by injecting THC extract, like Défoncé Chocolatier is doing with fancy bars.
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In New York, A Razor, a Shiny Knife offers "luxury cannabis events," shrouded with an air of mystery. You don't really get what's going on until you subscribe to the newsletter, when you then get intermittent emails with dinner announcements.
More than ever, these dinners seem to be out to prove that this is a respectable industry, as more states are legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana use. And if you're more of a traditionalist and prefer your pot smoked not stirred, delicious food is as good a way as any to chase that high.