Usually Unusual is the private dining practice of Andrew Ellis (fella on the right).

Andrew has a BA in Linguistics and an MFA in Design and, through a series of reasonable but questionable decisions, ended up working with food, people, and the spaces in between. Over the past 20 years, he’s lived and traveled across Cambodia, France, Chile, and the United States, collecting not just techniques, but ways of paying attention to food and culture.

His work has taken many forms—pop-up dinners, food writing, and concept-driven projects including the Porridge Project (pop-up in Hudson Valley) and the ethnographic cookbook Oakland: New Urban Eating. Each reflects an ongoing interest in how food carries memory, place, and meaning beyond the plate.

A period spent living and cooking at the Bodhi Manda Zen Center in Jemez Springs, New Mexico—where he served as tenzo (head cook)—further shaped his approach to food as a practice of attention, care, and simplicity. That time, along with experience in various kitchens and collaborative food spaces, continues to inform how he designs and prepares meals today.

Usually Unusual offers private dining experiences for small gatherings—menus shaped by season, setting, and curiosity. The work is less about a signature style and more about creating meals that feel thoughtful, grounded, and slightly outside the expected.

Andrew also runs an outdoor functional fitness company called Move First.