As a 10-foot-tall Julia Child hacked at a jumbo tuna and the elfin girl next to me ripped a strip of lampshade and smothered it in smoky, salty butter, I had to admit it was well worth the $30 cab ride out to MonkeyTown. Actually, it was Williamsburg and MonkeyTown is a kooky restaurant there, hidden behind a nameless door on an equally mysterious street on a late night. Madame Child flashed on the wall-sized screens on all four walls in our room, and the lampshade was thinly stretched, yummy bread. This was the first installment of Dine on Design a welcome amuse-bouche in a New York design-a-thon that had us gorging on too many pop-up shops, too many parties and too many folks crashing those events for the free booze.
This was one clever detour. An even more clever way to get designers, buyers, bloggers and other influencers out of the comfort of Manhattan and to this restaurant, owned by Montgomery Knott and friends. The locals appear to applaud and deride Montgomery with equal zeal over his arty programming (there is even a “Bathroom Sound Series,” where, say, a woman’s calming voice asks about bodily functions in a tone that suggests those pharmaceutical ads) and efforts at experimental cocktails and food.
So with that agenda in mind, Monte gave the greenlight to artist Eliza Axelson-Chidsey to stage her curated concept. Various designers were recruited—some to create an unconventional plate or bowl that would complement the eight-course menu by chefs Ryan Jaronik and Eng Su, or to craft the low and long sofas and tables lining the four walls. A particular hit among some of us, was the white satin tablecloth, split and extended into strips that we then fastened around our necks like bibs. Each one was screened in black ink with an image of tuxedo and bow tie, or a cameo, or even a prison mug shot numbers. Elfin girl, aka Emily Sugihara, the creator of the colorful eco-bag line, Baggu, and NotCot co-founder Jean Aw and I couldn’t get enough of our bibs.
Not surprisingly, Andy and Citizen-Citizen’s Philip Wood made it a contest who could call out first the titles of the Japanese and other foreign film clips showing scenes of food being prepared, consumed and generally enjoyed in bliss. There were also plenty of TV ads of sugary cereals, TV dinners and discontinued snack foods from the 1960s and 1970s.
A couple, who included a young woman who could not look more like a young Audrey Hepburn, sat in the center of the room, at a normal height table, enjoying their supper. Actually they were supposed to serve as both entertainment and guides. They fed one another, threw lampshade at the other, talked back to us when, fueled by the third course’s wine flight, we began throwing out requests. Just to add to their adorable couple/performance art schtick, the two were joined by a blue and white gingham table cloth that also served as tailored smocks, complete with sleeves and a shirt collar on him, a Peter Pan collar and an attached strand of pearls on her. The costume/installation was imagined by performance artist-furniture designer Annika Schmidt.
Of course, we insisted that Eliza take this show on the road. It’s one experimental experience that definitely tickled my tummy.