The Return of SCD: A Culinary rEvolution
It all began as a means to an end — a way to feed, entertain, and bring people together while we worked to raise millions of dollars in unconventional ways. Our mission was simple yet ambitious: to build a following and create a foundation for a restaurant culture we could truly believe in — one rooted in community, purpose, and shared experience.
From 2004 to 2009, we accomplished that and more. We exceeded every expectation, influencing an entire sector of the industry. What started as a temporary effort — just six months, I thought — became a movement that’s now endured for over two decades.
Reviving SCD today has been an act of both renewal and healing. Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand the profound ways our work affects people — often in ways we never anticipated. From marriages to divorces, babies to new friendships and first dates that became lifelong partnerships; from businesses born at our tables to entirely new models of fundraising — the ripple effect of this community is immense. Even the broader cultural conversation around fine dining has shifted, in part, through the lens of what we began together.
None of this was ever part of a grand plan. It all came from authenticity, from chaos, from the relentless drive to push boundaries and defy norms. My convictions about dining have never centered on accolades or awards. At its heart, SCD has always been about you — our friends, your friends, our collective community and industry— most of all the timeless act of connecting over food, as people have done since the days of ancient Egypt.
I’m continually humbled by those who have come after us and elevated the work or been inspired by the path we've cut, just as we once did when we appeared on the scene in 2005. Underground dining, after all, has roots reaching back to Rome and inspired our first years of operations.
As we step into the future, our purpose feels more vital than ever. The world is heavy, and we are all struggling — but art, conversation, and communion remain powerful tools for change. SCD has always drawn inspiration from the intersections of music, art, and politics, and we continue to reject the dystopian in favor of creation, connection, and resistance.
To our loyal West Coast family — come East, or send your friends. To those here on the Eastern seaboard — don’t wait. These shared moments matter. They spark conversations, they inspire action, they create change.
We’ve seen it happen again and again.
Testify.
We return now to what we’ve always stood for: rejecting the dystopian and embracing a culinary rEvolution.