It’s been a long week. Work has been crazy and you’re still at the office at 7pm on a Friday. But finally, you shut off the laptop and head to a nearby bar where your friends are waiting. A half hour later, you’re sat in a chair, relaxed, and at last let out a breath that’s been inflating all week like a balloon about to pop. Suddenly—
*BLARE* *BLARE* *BLARE*
Your phone alarm goes off: it’s about to rain. Your sausages will be ruined.
Charlene, who founded The Baodega – a Sichuanese supper club in Clinton Hill – lives this sausage-centered lifestyle every Winter so she can make a tub of them to serve throughout the rest of the year. And while she quit her job to focus on food full-time back in November, it’s still incredible the quality and quantity of events she puts on at a somehow accessible price point.
What I really like about this:
Setting
The Baodega is hosted in Charlene’s apartment (which has only been slightly retrofitted with an industrial vent and fridge), so entering the building + climbing up the stairs + taking off you’re shoes outside makes it feel less like a fancy chef’s tasting menu and more like you’re just going to grandma’s house
Tickets are maxed out at 2-3 per person so guests are generally self-selected to be into food and open to meeting new people (if you want to book for a whole party, you can message charlene@thebaodega.com)
It’s highly suggested to bring a bottle/drink to share with everyone else, which is a great low-effort-high-reward medium of self-expression which helps with the above
Food
The signature Sichuanese sausages are one of the best dishes in New York City – and I really don’t say that lightly
Right-clicked on from Instagram Each slice has a similar proportion of fat : meat but a unique texture, so you can eat like 400 and it never gets repetitive
The smokiness and tang of spice lingers around the back of your throat and makes you want more
The mapo tofu is the best I’ve ever had and somehow 100% vegan
(Substack won’t let me caption videos but stolen from Stephanie Lau who also cooks + writes about food and who coincidentally I met at the last Baodega visit!)The homemade soymilk is infused with chrysanthemum and cuts beautifully through the oil and peppers from the rest of the meal – it’s perfectly not-too-sweet
Right-clicked on from Instagram
There’s so much more about this lil supper club that’s lovely. Charlene herself is a welcoming and kind host, telling stories about each dish (specifically the sausages which brought her parents together) and answering questions about her process. One day, Charlene wants to make merch – specifically a shirt that says “Mommy’s little sausage”.