Promising an underground dining experience not for the weak of mind, Arcane Supper Club sold out its first event—themed “gluttony”—on Saturday. That’s 128 people who received instructions from an anonymous host to come to The Loft at 600 F St. NW for a night promoted as over-indulgent, “radical,” and cloaked with secrecy.
What guests got instead was a house party bred with a PG-13 haunted house and a loose “mad doctor” theme that had very little to do with a deadly sin. There were no opportunities to pluck sushi rolls off naked ladies, indulge in avant-garde libations, or sneak off to a dark corner with a date.
The bizarre dress code included no hard-bottom shoes, collared shirts, or suits for men, and no “club dresses” for women. “WTF Should I Wear?” Arcane’s Eventbrite page asked. “Nothing! But if you must, artsy, chic, daring, skin, offensive, tight, bold must we go on.” But guests eager to ogle buttoned-up lobbyists in Lady Gaga garb shook hands with reality: Sexy, offensive, and skin-baring to D.C. means wearing patterned pantyhose or a pink wig.
Guests, told to come hungry and prepare to “infatuate themselves in dirty flavors,” were fed tacos in overworked shells, a dumpling sampler, and two kinds of noodles served in Chinese take-out boxes. The Tex-Mex-meets-Asia soba noodles with charred poblano peppers, snow peas, and marinated bean curd were the highlight.
Guests who stayed long enough were privy to some Polynesian fire eaters, who were a nice break from the hum-drum dance floor livened occasionally by someone twerking.
While everything was edible, no one left the gluttony-themed event holding their guts. Instead, they left scratching their heads.
Photos by Laura Hayes
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