There is something unique about being the guy
who is exposed daily to Beluga Caviar, Cristal
Champagne, exotic cheeses from all over the world,
accessible and inaccessible wines. On a daily basis,
Brooklynite Dominick DiBartolomeo meets some of the
most famous chefs, dignitaries, celebrities, politicians,
Lords, musicians and everything in between, all from
behind the counter of The Beverly Hills Cheese Store.
The shop has been owned and operated since 1978 by
Norbert Wabnig, one of the worlds most known
connoisseurs, collectors and purveyors of fine food.
This, however, is only what the public has access to;
Dominick is privy to a gathering of those selected few
people every-so-often in a private wine room near the
store. These assorted few have assembled there for
years to partake in a specific social ritual. At the end
of the day they come to spill over drinks and fare;
nothing fancy, no three-tiered minimalist food sculptures
to be found, just good things to eat at their simplest level.
A guest chef will come and cook a meal for the group on
the little that the store has, a small grill they keep in the
alley, as well as having access to the neighboring
restaurants. This show will reflect those very nights, an
ordinary setting for an extraordinary group, under one
common umbrella, the love and passion for all things
culinary. The Secret Table is this extraordinary event.
This would merely be a reflection of what a common
night might be like in the back room, various people
coming together, helping, partaking and contributing to a
meal, like a family at the end of the day. This feeling is an
intimate one, personal and close-up in every respect. It is
no frills; everything is kept simple like a documentary.
There is a table, a grill, a waiter and then, of course, the
guests.
We would be getting an inside look at this exclusive
gathering being educated and educating on all things
culinary in the small back room that no one knows
about and the viewer is given a seat, as it were, at
The Secret Table.
