It’s not just pushcart cuisine that’s keeping the underemployed chefs of California solvent. Another trend that’s been flourishing for the last few years is that of the underground kitchen, a periodic menu created by chefs without an establishment to call their own, or moonlighting while off-duty.

Sometimes hosted at licensed food venues without a regular dinner service, sometimes held in private homes, these mobile kitchens are great opportunities to explore creative food at bargain prices, since the main expenses of overhead are generally not factored in to the cost of the meal. Another touted benefit of this clandestine cuisine is that of community building—which has admittedly become something of a meaningless buzzword these days, but is still as good a way to describe a gathering of like-minded individuals with a common purpose as any. That the shared goal in this case is a good meal only makes the resultant community that much more varied, since you don’t have to be of a certain social or economic class to enjoy good food.

Like the new breed of pushcart vendors, these vagabond chefs are not just concerned with good food, but sustainable food. One of the Bay Area’s best known examples is Radio Africa, a weekly menu developed by Eskender Asegad, served most often in a neighborhood café in the Mission District of San Francisco. The emphasis of Radio Africa is definitely on local and organic ingredients, prepared in a fusion of African standbys—tajines, couscous, hummus—combined with West coast staples such as arugula, chard, and chevre. Desserts might be made from fruits sourced from Neighborhood Fruit—a local fruit-share organization that allows city folk to share and receive in-season fruits from their neighbors—and bread served is from the local French bakery up the road.

Underground dining phenom The Dissident Chef serves up farmers' market fresh, multi-course meals in private homes, while fundraising for a permanent home on the San Francisco waterfront. And advocates of the now-defunct “Ghetto Gourmet” evenings are networking online to create their own versions of dinner party piracy.

Creating solid networks from impermanence, serving good food on-the-fly, sourcing sustainable and local products—these green gourmands are changing what people consider fine dining—one clandestine meal at a time.

Image via The Dissident Chef.