× Expand Clandestino Instagram An unnamed dish from the unnamed chef

A St. Louis chef working under the cloak of anonymity will launch Clandestino, a new series of underground pop-up dinners, early next year.

Details are thin at the moment, but secrecy and the element of surprise appear to underpin the project. Clandestino’s Instagram (@clandestinostl) is the sole source of public announcements. Over the past few weeks, a series of teasers have shown a number of dishes in development. The vague captions (“pop of color for ya,” “more to come”) give little away, but the photos themselves suggest Clandestino will feature creative, artfully presented cuisine leaning toward fine dining.

Nobody is revealing who's behind Clandestino, and organizers declined a face-to-face or phone interview. One of the organizers, however, did answer a few questions anonymously via Instagram. The unnamed source told SLM, “Guests can expect to be surprised. This is chef’s first real chance to try any and everything they’ve been wanting to try while they’ve been busy with other ventures.”

The source said Clandestino’s focus will be “very farm-to-table, local ingredient–driven cuisine with a focus on Mexican technique. The range of dishes that we’ve gone over with Chef in our R&D phase have truly blown us away. Guests can expect surprise ingredients and extreme attention to detail.”

The first Clandestino dinner will be held in the new year. The plan is to stick to a monthly rhythm. Locations will vary, including both conventional and unconventional dining destinations. Wherever the location, it will remain a closely guarded secret until just before the event. Dinners will feature multiple courses, with two seatings for each event. Capacity will be limited to around 15 to 20 diners per seating.

As the series evolves, there may also be appearances from “familiar St. Louis industry faces,” including guest chefs and bartenders presenting drinks pairings. “We all agree that with the amount of wildly talented chefs in St Louis, it would be our loss to not partner with as many as we can,” the source told us.

Although the anonymous source insisted that Clandestino is the work of just one chef, the project certainly seems to draw on the talents of a team of individuals. Does the crew include some prominent faces from St. Louis' food scene? “It’s hard to say anything without saying too much! Let’s just say that we all mutually know each other through the industry.”

Won't it be difficult to keep such a secret in a business where word travels quickly? “There’s no such thing as a secret in the industry. Each of us has had a person or two guess," the source said, "but luckily, they’re keeping it between us."

The team is “super close to final decisions,” the source noted. Keep an eye on Clandestino’s Instagram for updates.