Hudson Table Brings An Interactive Dining Experience To Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — A unique interactive dining experience is now being offered in Stamford at Hudson Table.

Located in a 1,600 square-foot street-level space at The Hazel, one of Stamford's newest luxury rental buildings in Harbor Point at 44 John St., Hudson Table houses a culinary studio that offers public cooking demonstrations, hands-on classes and a café which features a menu of freshly made breakfast and lunch items, local coffee and prepared grab-and-go meals created by Hudson Table chefs.

This is Hudson Table's fourth outpost in the New York Metropolitan area. The flagship location opened up in Hoboken, N.J., in 2014. There are also locations in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Philadelphia, Pa.

Founder Allen Bari said he's had his eye on Stamford for a few years.

"There are a lot of young professionals and businesses in the area, so I thought it would be a really good potential opportunity," Bari said. "I felt like there was a need for more unique food-based events. I felt like we could fill that gap."

Bari said Hudson Table was created as a unique form of recreation amongst friends and strangers. He was inspired after attending a cooking class with his wife in 2010.

"I fell in love with the concept of a cooking class and how communal it was — being at a table with two random people and becoming friends," Bari said. "It was a very cool vibe. I started looking into the logistics of it, and I felt like it had a lot of potential."

But rather than a traditional cooking class or cooking school environment, Bari wanted to elevate the experience.

Attendees in small groups will don an apron and create dishes on the menu while chefs walk them through the process, covering every detail from culinary techniques to plating a delicious, eye-catching meal.

A wide range of themed menus helps keep the experience fresh. Examples include: Spanish Tapas, Meatless Mexican, An Evening on the Italian Riviera, Tuscan Kitchen and Simply Thai.

Overall, there are 150 different menus for classes, Bari said.

The hands-on class culminates with shedding the aprons and enjoying meals around a communal table. Each Hudson Table has a unique U-shaped counter, so guests can interact with each other.

Public hands-on classes and workshops have a maximum of 16 guests per class. Each class is broken up into groups of two, three, four or five depending on the number of guests that have registered.

Hudson Table also offers a variety of hands-off experiences. Right now, Bari said, a popular activity revolves around chef competitions — similar to the popular show "Iron Chef."

"Customers are the judges. They eat three courses from two different chefs, and they pick a winner at the end. You can sit in our open kitchen and watch two chefs go head-to-head," Bari said.

Another big component of Hudson Table is catered dining events for an outing or celebration with fully customized menus.

"When you walk in, the chef that's there is the one who created your menu. We can fully customize it for any dietary restrictions or allergies. It's a lot different if you have 40 people and you're going to be at a dining room in the back of a restaurant," Bari explained. "Whereas with us, you're going to be hanging out in an open kitchen, you can sit up at the countertops with chefs that are cooking. It's a super unique event."

Menus will change constantly, Bari said, noting that he expects to have about six to eight chefs at the Stamford location.

"You may see one menu that never exists again. It's like every night is a pop-up," he said.

Hudson Table also has a wide variety of wine and beer curated by a beverage director. There will be wine tastings, as well as cocktail-making classes in the spring, summer and fall, Bari said.

The café menu is very chef-driven, Bari noted.

"If you order an egg sandwich, the chef will crack an egg right in front of you," Bari added. WiFi is be available so people can "work from home" in the space. When it's warm out, Hudson Table will utilize about 1,500 square feet of outdoor space.

Bari was a waiter throughout high school and college; he's always had a love for good food. He has a financial background, but left the corporate world over a decade ago.

"The business is really intended to bring people together, whether it's random people attending a class together or friends who want to attend a private event," Bari said. "That's what we do. We bring people together for celebration and fun nights out."

Todd Schefler, co-managing partner of Alpine Residential, which developed The Hazel Stamford with partner Fields Grade, said in a recent news release he's excited to welcome Hudson Table into the community.

"We’re delighted to bring Hudson Table to the Stamford market which will not only serve as an extended amenity for our residents but entertain the community at large with a fun and engaging concept," Schefler said. "With resident access from the building’s lobby, as well as a public entrance on John Street, the studio and café will amplify the boutique hotel-like ambiance we’ve created here while fostering community connection."

For more information on Hudson Table and to check out classes or experiences, go to their website.

For more information on The Hazel, click here.