4 days ago
Three Chefs Run This Secret Napa Supper Club That's Become an IYKYK Local Favorite
Perhaps Napa's best, and most intimate kept secret, the Stoop Supper Club, quietly redefines home dining — and sells out in the process. Founded by three friends with a passion for food, Madison Gabor, Brooke Garlieb, and Barbora McCart, the invite-only experience is one of the most talked-about culinary gatherings in Wine Country.
Garlieb, a private chef in the Valley, and Gabor, the Estate and Event Chef at Ashes & Diamonds Winery, first crossed paths while studying at the CIA Greystone in St. Helena. The two quickly bonded over oysters and Sancerre, before meeting McCart, the estate sous chef of Progeny Winery, at a lamb-themed dinner party.
What began as casual get-togethers among friends soon evolved into something more substantial. One evening, during an aperitif hour on their front stoop, the trio conceived an idea: why not open their homes to the public for seasonal, intimate dinners?
'We noticed that between the three of us, we had such different friend groups,' Gabor says, 'different people in our lives who didn't know each other, and we wanted to connect the dots.'
They posted on Instagram, 'Would anyone be interested in coming over for dinner hosted by us?' and went for a bike ride between Oak Knoll and Yountville. During the ride, they got 27 'yes' responses on Instagram. Their first club dinner was launched in April 2023, featuring two tables of eight, totaling 16 people. The event sold out in seconds, with a menu headlined by lamb porchetta, served family-style — a noted favorite of Garlieb.
Today, their club is truly community-driven, with a diverse range of guests, including high school basketball coaches, those in the hospitality industry, local business owners, and visitors from San Francisco. The cost of the meal ranges from $135 to $150 and includes appetizers and four to five courses, with two to three items per course.
Emma Kruch / Emma K Creative
Emma Kruch / Emma K Creative
The team of three feeds off each other's strengths as they continue to grow the club. 'Barbora is incredibly efficient and really on it; she handles a lot of the admin. Brooke is really produce-driven and focused on the seasonality of ingredients,' Gabor says.
Those same fresh ingredients help shape the club's monthly menu theme, which is also heavily influenced by the chef's creativity. At Progeny, McCart creates menus that highlight the winery's exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, but Stoop is a different story. 'I think one of the original goals for us creating Stoop was to have more creative freedom in the kitchen and trying to cook the things that we normally don't have a chance to or are scared to try…the one thing we are adamant about is using seasonal ingredients,' McCart says.
Vincent Vitale
One of their most popular themed nights was 'Tomato Girl Summer,' when heirlooms were at their peak. Most recently, they debuted a meal centered around in-season corn. Leading the way to Garlieb's home, corn drawings made from chalk adorn the sidewalk and lead to the backyard where the dinner takes place. Most of the supper-club guests dress in theme and wear yellow, greeted at the gate with a refreshing popcorn spritz, poured directly from a pitcher with a unicorn spout.
Fried corn fritters circulate as guests mingle, and after 30 minutes, everyone sits at one long table for dinner. The table is decorated with wildflowers, candles shaped like corn, and corn-themed name cards created by Allison Waldman, the sous chef at Ashes & Diamonds. Waldman, attending her first Stoop Supper Club, beams with excitement. 'It's great to have a meal where everything is really good,' Waldman says. 'I haven't been surprised in so long.'
The corn-centric meal delivers on that promise: The chilled corn soup features rock shrimp, cucumber, avocado, and jalapeno, accompanied by Floriani cornbread and corn miso butter from Shared Cultures, prompting the group to cheer the chefs with excited applause. A blue corn tostada followed, served with charred corn crema, heirloom tomatoes, and chile crisp, while Brentwood corn agnolotti headlined, accompanied with nasturtium butter, lamb bacon, chanterelles, and chive blossoms.
Dessert stole the show at the end of the night. The chefs scooped ice cream cones to order, hand-delivering 'corn on the cone' — the sweet corn ice cream tastes like creamed corn, but in frozen custard form. The smooth texture contrasted with the crumbly triple-corn swirl interior made from homemade cookies composed of masa, dehydrated corn, and cornmeal. The ice cream ended the meal on a nostalgic note. Diner Trevor Green-Smith ate his dessert with a look of despair. 'I'm sad, I don't want it to end.'
Vincent Vitale
Vincent Vitale
Vincent Vitale
While the meal was memorable, the people made the experience what it is. It's a place where strangers discover they are neighbors, people banter over the best restaurants in town, and thought-provoking questions encourage conversation. By the end of the night, numbers were exchanged, Formula 1: Drive to Survive was discussed, and hugs were given. It's the exact result the three chefs dreamed up over drinks two years ago — bringing people together to slow down, connect, and enjoy dishes they won't find anywhere else.
Building on their momentum, the trio recently launched a Cookbook Club, a free, community-driven potluck where participants vote on a cookbook, pick a recipe, and bring a dish to share. It's designed for curious cooks who want to experiment, eat, and connect — all with a glass of wine in hand.
Whether it's a supper under string lights or a recipe shared over a communal table, The Stoop is turning casual home cooking into one of Napa's most exclusive culinary scenes.
What began as a low-key gathering among friends has quietly transformed into a social group and one of Napa's most sought-after dining experiences, if you know where to look. Each event feels like a secret worth sharing.
Follow the Stoop Supper Club on Instagram (@stoopsupperclub) and join the mailing list for details on upcoming dinners.
From left, Barbora McCart, Madison Gabor Goodwin, and Brooke Garlieb of Stoop Supper Club in Napa. Rebecca Skidgel
Eater SF
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