I've got an acquaintance from another discussion board who does that sort of thing (in NYC, sorry, RPMcM
). The menus he serves always look really good and very ambitious -- the kind of stuff that would drive a home cook crazy with split-second timing and lots of steps. He just loves to cook, and this way gets to do some interesting stuff that he'd never do just for himself and his family. I don't know if he ever actually makes back his costs, but that's not the point for him. He'd never quit his day job to cook full time (he knows how tedious that is), so this fun for him.
All that aside, I don't think I'd ever go to one. A lot of the people who run them are like him and are not kitchen professionals (unlike the guy mentioned in the article) used to following standard sanitation procedures. They don't necessarily handle their food properly (safely, that is). I'm not saying that they are dangerous, but there is no regulation and anything might happen. Just makes me nervous. And besides, the price is not necessarily cheaper nor the execution better than -- or even as good as -- at a restaurant.