A COLUMBIA University student who is hoping to earn A’s in the classroom may also have to worry about securing top marks from the New York City Health Department due to the restaurant in his dorm room.

    Jonah Reider, 21, opened a New American restaurant called Pith in his dorm room and he serves his customers five- to eight-course meals that he prepares in the kitchen in his suite at Hogan Hall.

    Diners, who typically fork over about US$15, have to book at the college senior’s trendy establishment with Yelp and Reider has reservations that will keep the restaurant packed through Christmas.

    Reider, who studies economics and sociology, tries to model what he serves at Pith after what New York restaurants like Per Se and Eleven Madison Park are cooking, the New York Post reported.

    The Newton, Massachusetts, native said, “I didn’t expect it to be so popular.”

    Pith is open four nights per week and there are a maximum of four people at each seating.

    According to the restaurant’s website, “Pith is an intimate and inventive shared cost meal, a supper club amongst friends.

    “The cost of dinner varies from night to night, but is generally close to US$15 per person.

    “This is a supper club, not a restaurant, so the cost is directly derived from the cost of ingredients.”

    Reider has already served up dishes like braised celery root soup with toasted almonds and pumpernickel crisps and seared lamb with smoked paprika, according to the Columbia Spectator.

    He said, “It’s an experience that is never going to happen again with the same people and same food at the same time. I think with good cooking, or good eating, you should just experience all these things that you just never thought you could before.”

    Unfortunately prospective guests will have to wait because Pith is currently overbooked and no one else can be accommodated at its location on the university’s campus.

    Reider said, “Sadly Pith is completely overbooked for the foreseeable future, however, I am planning some really exciting music and food pop-ups which will hopefully be able to accommodate more people.”

    (SD-Agencies)