Are these sprouting up in all big cities or is it a local LA thing?
I’m not talking about incubator restaurants which I know they have in Pittsburgh. Incubators provide opportunities for new restauranteers to develop a restaurant concept, with the understanding that they will have a limited time until they have to leave and open up a brick and mortar restaurant.
The ghost restaurants, by contrast, rent out kitchen space and presumably a successful chef can stay there as long as the rent is paid. Some of them are second locations for successful restaurants in other locations which are too far away to get patronage from the new area. Others presumably are start-up ideas.
At a time when most people were having food delivered or picking it up because of the pandemic, I assume they have been more successful than they will be once going out to dinner becomes an “experience” again. One of the two closest to me me has a few tables outside if you want to dine there, but you still order online and pickup your food. The other, which is closer and newer, is delivery or pickup only. No tables.
I have found them helpful because they expand my choices. Sometimes, maybe once a month, I am in a mood where I crave hot dogs. But, in 40 years of living here, I haven’t found a good hot dog yet at a local restaurant. The best hot dogs in LA are at Pink’s or Tommy’s Original, both of which are 30 to 40 minutes away. My days of making late night runs to Pink’s are long over. In fact, when I have been desperate in recent years, Wienershnitzel was my choice. Now, there are 4 good options in the two nearby ghost kitchens. The Dodgers are rightly or wrongly famous for the quality of Dodger Dogs and they went into the restaurant business not long ago. They quickly expanded to 11 locations all over the area, and I assume most are in Ghost kitchens. I like Dodger Dogs, but there aren’t many toppings available (no chili and no cheese for example) and the available condiments come in those little packages which I hate.
I have discovered Japanese and Korean hot dogs during the pandemic. I am not crazy about them, but they do offer an alternative. The Hapanese place even has Wagyu beef dogs, with a price to match. Recently, a Nathan’s Famous opened in the closest Ghost Kitchen. The kitchen itself opened a month ago so Nathan’s has been there since the inception. They have the all-beef Nathan’s hot dog. Grilled or boiled, and all of the add-ons you could want. The Chile cheese dog is excellent.
But, hot dogs are only one choice at the ghost kitchens. Most of the selections available are not highbrow foods and that is fine with me. (The Gweneth Paltrow Goop thing we tried last year is an exception; but Masha can order that and I can order real food from another vendor.) There are tons of local places to get sushi, Mexican food or Chinese. I have 3 sushi restaurants within 5 blocks of my house. But, having more choices for Wings, Burgers, Nashville Hot Chicken, etc at Ghost Kitchens is just fine for me.
I like having more choices so I really like these places. Are they sprouting up in Pittsburgh too? In the last 6 months, 3 new Ghost Kitchens have opened within a 15 minute drive from my house.
I’m not talking about incubator restaurants which I know they have in Pittsburgh. Incubators provide opportunities for new restauranteers to develop a restaurant concept, with the understanding that they will have a limited time until they have to leave and open up a brick and mortar restaurant.
The ghost restaurants, by contrast, rent out kitchen space and presumably a successful chef can stay there as long as the rent is paid. Some of them are second locations for successful restaurants in other locations which are too far away to get patronage from the new area. Others presumably are start-up ideas.
At a time when most people were having food delivered or picking it up because of the pandemic, I assume they have been more successful than they will be once going out to dinner becomes an “experience” again. One of the two closest to me me has a few tables outside if you want to dine there, but you still order online and pickup your food. The other, which is closer and newer, is delivery or pickup only. No tables.
I have found them helpful because they expand my choices. Sometimes, maybe once a month, I am in a mood where I crave hot dogs. But, in 40 years of living here, I haven’t found a good hot dog yet at a local restaurant. The best hot dogs in LA are at Pink’s or Tommy’s Original, both of which are 30 to 40 minutes away. My days of making late night runs to Pink’s are long over. In fact, when I have been desperate in recent years, Wienershnitzel was my choice. Now, there are 4 good options in the two nearby ghost kitchens. The Dodgers are rightly or wrongly famous for the quality of Dodger Dogs and they went into the restaurant business not long ago. They quickly expanded to 11 locations all over the area, and I assume most are in Ghost kitchens. I like Dodger Dogs, but there aren’t many toppings available (no chili and no cheese for example) and the available condiments come in those little packages which I hate.
I have discovered Japanese and Korean hot dogs during the pandemic. I am not crazy about them, but they do offer an alternative. The Hapanese place even has Wagyu beef dogs, with a price to match. Recently, a Nathan’s Famous opened in the closest Ghost Kitchen. The kitchen itself opened a month ago so Nathan’s has been there since the inception. They have the all-beef Nathan’s hot dog. Grilled or boiled, and all of the add-ons you could want. The Chile cheese dog is excellent.
But, hot dogs are only one choice at the ghost kitchens. Most of the selections available are not highbrow foods and that is fine with me. (The Gweneth Paltrow Goop thing we tried last year is an exception; but Masha can order that and I can order real food from another vendor.) There are tons of local places to get sushi, Mexican food or Chinese. I have 3 sushi restaurants within 5 blocks of my house. But, having more choices for Wings, Burgers, Nashville Hot Chicken, etc at Ghost Kitchens is just fine for me.
I like having more choices so I really like these places. Are they sprouting up in Pittsburgh too? In the last 6 months, 3 new Ghost Kitchens have opened within a 15 minute drive from my house.
