That Supper Club operates discreetly out of an empanada shop in the northeastern corner of the state. To find this exclusive three-day-a-week pop-up dining experience requires a meandering drive along exurban Jersey roads with your GPS set to Pop Empanada in Park Ridge, just miles from the New York border. A bicycle shop, a quaint train depot and a little park are nearby.
Once inside, guests are treated to nine courses, with some optional add-ons. From crudo to oysters to pasta of all varieties, the seasonal, green market-driven supper-club menu is adventurous and creative. And it changes each month.
Tuna crudo at The 130 Club. Photo: Arron Andrews
Exclusivity is a prized element in today’s dining scene in New Jersey. From special, secret menu items to pop-up experiences, hidden speakeasies to members-only clubs, the desire for something singular—and special—is strong. Restaurateurs and chefs are answering the call.
For Nicolas Pescatore, co-owner and chef of That Supper Club, the format allows chefs to experiment and have fun with ingredients while offering the diner an experience that can’t be replicated. (That Supper Club is not a private club—it just has the feel of one. Anyone can go, but they rely on word of mouth and social media to tell people about it. The cost is $95 for dinner, with optional add-ons.)
A server at The 130 Club brings out a Tomcat gimlet and whiskey-based Crazy 88 cocktail. Photo: Arron Andrews
“It’s more elevated than a typical restaurant. It’s a little different; the menu changes with the season. This is what we’re serving,” he explains. “It does feel exclusive—you’re coming to this pop-up supper club in an empanada spot. People don’t always understand it.”
That Supper Club isn’t the only dining experience that operates during another restaurant’s off-hours. (Pop Empanada is operated by one of the owners.) Buoy’s in Manasquan is a sandwich shop during the day before transitioning into a sleek dinner club, Buoy’s by Night.
The dining room at The 130 Club in Tenafly feels like stepping into a past life of grandeur and class. Dark wood paneling, moody lighting, and red leather chairs, banquettes and purse stools set the vibe for this Chicago-style steak house opened by a 4 Charles Prime Rib alum. Behind a wall lined with built-in bookshelves, there’s a secret dining room, but the members-only social club out back dials the exclusivity factor up even higher. You wouldn’t know any of this exists from the outside; the nondescript building leaves much to the imagination. But of course, there is a valet.
Photo: Arron Andrews
“We don’t have crazy signage. We want to transport people to a different world,” says chef and partner Geoffrei Taylor.
The 130 Club is open to anyone, but has the feel of a private dining club. The members-only club in back of the restaurant is a cigar and smoke lounge, complete with a full bar and a menu from the restaurant. The private-lounge experience allows guests to legally smoke a cigar indoors after dinner indoors, Taylor says, and lets the restaurant offer more options for all types of clientele. There are three different membership tiers, ranging in price from $3,500 to $15,000 (depending on the number of people), including cigar lockers, perks and more.
“It’s more of a niche, obviously,” says Taylor, adding that the concept was formulated after they saw the success of the private-tent dining experience they offered during the pandemic.
“The pandemic was over and guests said, ‘Where do we smoke our cigars?’ That showed us there was a market,” he says.
Photo: Arron Andrews
Despite the high-roller vibe, Taylor says they aim to create a “comfortable” restaurant and space where guests can feel welcome.
“We want to keep it unpretentious, but we want to keep it at that high level,” he says.
Chef Robbie Felice of pastaRAMEN in Montclair (one of NJM‘s best restaurants of 2025) and other hot spots says the allure of the “unknown” is what is driving this trend; diners are hungrier than ever for more exclusive, off-menu dining adventures. Felice and his team have been quietly running a 22-seat speakeasy adjacent to pastaRAMEN for months. People only know about it through word of mouth, and no traditional reservations are taken. Called Next Door, the menu is the same, but special, speakeasy-only items are also available.
And, in a twist, guests’ phones are locked away, ensuring the vibes are kept offline. For Felice, this maintains the element of secrecy, but it also makes the dining experience better. The best places he eats nowadays are those where he forgets about his cell phone, he says.
“I want people to thank us [saying], ‘Wow, I haven’t had a dinner where I could actually engage with my friends.’ It’s a totally different experience,” he says. “To get people to interact with each other again and have an intellectual conversation, if we can help spark that, it’s really special,” says Felice. “Instead of taking pictures, you have to be there and you have to just talk to people around you.”
Pescatore says dining experiences like his also rewrite the narrative of the traditional meal out. “I pictured in my head that I never wanted to cook what people wanted. I wanted to cook what I wanted, and if people liked it, so be it,” he says.
MORE RESTAURANT SPEAKEASIES:
- Buoy’s in Manasquan: Sandwiches by day, five-course prix-fixe by night.
- Sushi By Sea in Ridgefield: You need a password to enjoy this 12-seat omakase experience. (NJM readers can use the code NewJerseyMonthly25).
- 143 Social in Jersey City: This speakeasy cocktail den, located downstairs from Better Days, features inventive libations and light bites.
- Chef’s Table at Summit House in Summit: Until recently, you had to know someone to get a seat in front of the kitchen and enjoy a curated and interactive seven-course dining experience, but now you can make a reservation.
Your guide to New Jersey’s best pre- or post-show restaurants.
Plus: Kyuramen is coming to Old Bridge, while a 25-year-old pizzeria is shuttering in Essex County.
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