These intimate new restaurants across the U.S. are cultivating a dinner-party vibe.

Courtesy of One White Street

I might as well have been at a friends place.

), I almost forgot that I was actually paying to dine in a former beauty-supply warehouse in Atlanta.

A low lit dinning room.

New York’s One White Street.Credit:Courtesy of One White Street

The evening I attended, husband in tow, there were four other couples at the table.

By the end of the evening, however, we were all laughing like old friends.

Alderson didnt want the stress of a full-service restaurant but he did want to cook for guests.

A pair of photos one showing an orange food dish with beans and the other a chef plating food.

From left: Snapper ceviche at Native Prime Provisions, in Cashiers, North Carolina; monkfish at One White Street.From left: Courtesy of Native Prime Provisions; Courtesy of One White Street

Dishes are presented on handmade pottery; jazz tunes set a mellow ambience.

Courtesy of Dirt Church

Theres no stainless steel in this place, Alderson says, admiringly.

This is like my living room.

A pair of photos one showing a dining table and the other a stack of plates.

From left: Dirt Church, in Atlanta; serveware at Dirt Church.Courtesy of Dirt Church

The musics loud, its fun, and its not pretentious, he explains.

The seasonally driven a la carte and tasting menus highlight produce from Johnsons Hudson Valley farm, Rigor Hill.

Dishes might include seared scallops with spring greens andhakureiturnips or Long Island fluke crudo with snow peas and carrots.

We kind of lean in to that house-party vibe.

Its just that the food and wine might be fancier than what youd be doing at your own place.

The vibe is admittedly rock and roll, Prakash says.

But that allows us to actually create a closer connection with the guests.

I dont know if that would be possible in a much bigger setting.