EAT: A pop-up restaurant for homeless chefs

Say you're a chef without his or her own restaurant, a line cook eager to show off, or maybe a solid home cook who wants to play restaurateur without losing his shirt.

(Stop me if you're heard this one: "How do you get a million bucks in the restaurant business? Start out with three million." Hyuk, hyuk.)

Nick Farina has a way to scratch that creative itch, painlessly.

After a little more than a year in North Philadelphia, Farina has shut down Union Taco, his quick-serve outlet next door to the original Tiffin location at 712 W. Girard Ave., just outside Northern Liberties. (His Union Taco in Manayunk remains open; he also owns Verdad in Bryn Mawr.)

But rather than keep the joint empty, as it's still under lease, Farina is converting it into a 25-seat pop-up destination called EAT.

Starting in February, Farina will turn over EAT to various chefs on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The arrangement is pretty straightforward. The chefs solicit customers, bring in their own staff and food, and share the take with Farina, who will provide an on-site manager. The kitchen is equipped with a double-decker convection pizza oven, French door convection oven, plancha, four-burner stove, deep fryer, gas grill, Hobart mixer, wok station, and plenty of refrigeration.

Farina wants to host six to eight dinners per month - each a multicourse meal beginning with a reception featuring comp beer, wine or spirits.

"This is not Cook," Farina told me, referring to the elegant Rittenhouse Square demonstration kitchen that hosts A-list chefs for private meals. "I just want to give people a shot."

Most events will be priced at $50 per person including tax and gratuity, he said. A schedule is on the way. Cooks interested in headlining can email Farina directly.