Liz Grothe is heading to Italy for her annual research trip, and while she’s gone, Chef RJ Smith of Ocho Supper Club is stepping into her Queen Village kitchen. The Ocho Supper Club Scampi takeover runs four nights, Friday, September 18th through Monday, the 21st, with Smith serving a five-course tasting menu and a curated Pennsylvania wine pairing across both 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. seatings.

Tickets run $130 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with an optional three-glass Pennsylvania wine pairing for an additional $50. Smith has run Ocho Supper Club as a Sunday residency at the Rittenhouse Hotel since starting the concept in his college apartment while studying culinary arts at Drexel, threading his Afro-Caribbean heritage through a fine-dining lens ever since.

Inside the Ocho Supper Club Scampi Five-Course Menu

The Ocho Supper Club Scampi menu opens with two amuse-bouches: Trinidad doubles with whipped chickpea and ricotta, alongside curried oxtail festivals finished with curried honey and white pepper. From there, an aguachile of madai arrives with sorrel, salsa verde, and cilantro, followed by plantain coco bread layered with peekytoe crab, harissa yogurt, and preserved lemon.

A glazed summer squash with ajo blanco, squash miso, and Valley Milkhouse clover leads into the entree, a berbere-spiced duck served with red pepper chutney over aromatic rice. Dessert closes the meal with a turmeric tart layered with hibiscus mousse, rhubarb jam, and lime curd.

Ocho Supper Club Scampi Wine Pairings and Patio Bites

The wine pairing draws from Scampi’s beverage program, built in partnership with Camuna Cellars, Fell to Earth Vermouth, and other local purveyors. Diners who’d rather stay outside can order from the Scampi patio, where Smith is running an Ocho small bites menu built off the same tasting menu.

That patio lineup includes an Ocho plateau combining both amuses with the madai aguachile for $41, the madai aguachile alone for $22, the curried oxtail festivals for $19, the plantain coco bread for $34, and the turmeric tart for $16.

“I really look up to Liz Grothe and her journey with Couch Cafe,” said Chef RJ Smith, calling the crossover a chance to bring an Ocho experience into her space.

How to Book the Ocho Supper Club Scampi Takeover

Reservations for the tasting menu are open now through Resy and OpenTable, with Monday night carved out separately for an industry-only session from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Grothe opened her Queen Village restaurant in December 2024 after building a following through her home pop-up dinners, and its rotating monthly menu already leans into the same spirit driving this takeover: inviting someone else’s cooking into her own space, and trusting what comes back.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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