D.C. culinary start-up caters to dining enthusiasts, innovative chefs | The Washington Post

This article begins:

Nearly two years ago, Jill Richmond set out to help a friend start a pop-up restaurant in London. She had no idea the project would eventually lead to her own venture more than 3,000 miles away in the District.

But that’s what happens, she said, with “a little bit of serendipity and a lot of bit of luck.”

Richmond is now the mastermind behind The Coterie, a culinary society start-up that offers exclusive dining opportunities to its members and a new degree of creative freedom to its partnering chefs in Washington. Through the club, members gain access to a series of monthly events as well as a proprietary reservation system in which they can arrange for five-course, off-menu dinners custom prepared by the award-winning chefs at The Coterie’s partner restaurants around Washington.

Sounds like an interesting restaurant concept to me, but mostly the article reminded me of a neighborhood restaurant near my home in West Seattle: Endolyne Joe's.

Every quarter or so, it changes part of its menu to feature the foods, drinks and desserts of various cultures of the United States and other countries. So, for example, the menu features the chef's and bartender's versions of food from Texas. Earlier, the menu featured food of Argentina.

And not only the food changes. The decor also changes, with wall and ceiling hangings created by staff artists and others to reflect the featured culture.

Check out the Endolyne Joe's website for more information.