“Sit next to someone you don’t know,” Underground Kitchen co-founder Micheal Sparks encourages. “It’s DC though, so you’ll either get along or not,” he chuckles as guests take their seats for a six-course dinner in Alexandria, VA. The Richmond-based supper club known for haute pop-up dinners made its second debut in the DC area Tuesday night. We snapped Micheal with Underground Kitchen’s sommelier Terricinia St. Clair. It was a big night for both of them, as there was a cameraman shooting the dinner for a potential TV pilot.

“Eating & Art” was the evening’s theme because the dining table was nestled among The Torpedo Factory’s many art galleries. Dishes were artfully presented, like a scallop carpaccio arriving in a cloud of smoke, or the intermezzo of lemon Lambic sorbet topped with a nest of basil cotton candy. Richmond chefs Todd Butler and Chad Thompson prepared the dishes. Check out the Underground Kitchen team in their element Sept. 19-27, when they host a foodie tent at the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships (a qualifier for the Tour de France). Guest chefs from Richmond, DC and North Carolina will be cooking. “It’s going to be Union Market on steroids,” Micheal says. (Steroids make a nice tribute to the world of competitive cycling.)