Graffiti. Spray paint. Street Art. Dinner. Party. 

That’s right! The Ladies threw their very first street art-themed dinner party in the East Village on April 27th, and I got to see it all. I, by the way, am Anthea, bigLITTLE’s new intern! You’ll be hearing more from me in the next few weeks, so don’t forget to check back for regular updates on all of bigLITTLE’s upcoming events.

Now, back to the party! Complete with a brown paper tablecloth and scattered markers, pastels and paint tubes for the guests to play around with, the (almost entirely vegetarian and vegan) dinner party was flawlessly arty. The Ladies started off the lively night by handing out brown-bagged cocktails, made from guava juice, tequila, and bubbly prosecco (yum!). They laid out a colorful array of hors d’oeuvres; cumin honey shrimp sat atop mini rice cakes, pickled fruits and vegetables were laid out on a painter’s palette (my favorites were the horseradish-pickled cucumbers and the tarragon-pickled rhubarb), and beet amaranth masago “sushi” rolls with wasabi mayo were perched in rows on a nearby platter.

Before starting the meal, all ten lucky guests got a quick briefing on the origins and subjects of the street art from the host, a friend of the Ladies and an avid street art connoisseur with an awesome eye for graphical pieces. Next the guests took their seats and began the party as anyone would: by drawing on the table, of course! Thus, the diners were informed, entertained, and, most importantly, hungry. They were ready for the first course, a vibrant appetizer of edible flowers paired with a mushroom mousse, toasted flax seeds, fried onions, shishito peppers and a sour cherry puree that sat on the plate in a checkered pattern reminiscent of building bricks—also known as street artists’ canvases. Clever, Ladies.

The entrée was a shiso-wrapped Long Island blackfish topped with a crispy, salty skin and surrounded by charred grapefruit, thai chili, radish, spring peas and shoots, and a miniature bottle of white gazpacho that the guests were invited to artfully drizzle over their dinner.

As the guests enjoyed the fresh flavors of their entrée, the Ladies were busy in the kitchen assembling the final dish: the delectable dessert. To finish off the dairy-free meal, each guest received a piece of almond cake with almond coco salted “dirt” (cookie crumbs), a coconut dulce de leche sauce, chocolate cake espuma, and malted cashew ice cream. No better way to finish the night than with a little death by chocolate.

With the progression of the dinner also came creativity, and the departure of the guests from the table allowed us all to admire the original works of art that covered the brown, paper ‘tablecloth’. With mini takeout boxes in hand, party favors from the Ladies– consisting of popcorn with chili corn nuts and brown sugar -candied almonds– the guests said their goodbyes and the Ladies and I packed up. A successful night of simultaneous drinking, eating, and coloring!