Mile High, an irreverent pop-up dining series landed on the Lower East Side of Manhattan this week. Inspired by 1950s air travel, when legroom meant doing the twist and turbulence was the by bar steward’s cocktail shaker, the immersive pop-up dining experience couldn’t land in New York City at a better time. We were lucky to experience an exclusive taste of Mile High early in their first American layover and were blown away by the innovation, spontaneity, and attention to detail the crew delivered.
Without giving too much away guests enter the immersive theater piece by mingling and sipping Champagne Taittinger with other guests and the cabin crew in the Departure Lounge. Sure, the captain is throwing back a few cocktails but “it helps him to fly better”, stressed Ruby, a spot on 1950’s stewardess who shared a bit of gossip with us over several glasses of bubbly. Guests are encouraged to meet the other passengers in this lively “cocktail hour” before a formal introduction to each of the characters and a grand entrance into the dining cabin (passports mandatory!) After a series of colorful safety instructions the real fun begins. I sat with a group of strangers and ended up immersed in conversations that paralleled the sort of dialogue one would bring up with neighboring passengers on a transatlantic flight. The four-course dinner, delicately prepared by Chef Oliver Templeton (formerly the executive chef of Moro in London) consisted of lightly smoked pigeon breast with chicory and pickled trout, Confit sea trout, oyster emulsion, dill and kohlrabi, Pig cheek, poached baby vegetables and mustard, and a Treacale tart with clotted cream ice cream. Dinner conversation ranged from favorite travel stories to politics with an infusion of cheeky college games and highly anticipated British humor throughout the evening.
Shottlecock, Inc. is the brainchild of the Templeton cousins: Anna, Will, Ed, and Oliver. The troupe combines flavor, design, performance, and music to create unique immersive experiences throughout the world. The Champagne Taittinger only flows through October 4th, so book a ticket, grab that passport, and head down to the Lower East Side for a flight to write home about.