Dada Daily Throws a Surrealist Dinner at One of New York’s Most Resplendent Apartments
Dada Daily Throws a Surrealist Dinner at One of New York’s Most Resplendent Apartments
Subversion and spontaneity are at the heart of Dadaism, the art form that inspired Claire Olshan’s new snack collection, Dada Daily. Accordingly, both elements were well represented at the official launch of the brand on Thursday night in New York. Guests including Rosie Assoulin, Leandra Medine, and Athena Calderone made their way to an iconic 20-room apartment on the Upper East Side, where cocktails were held in a Central Park–facing space, its interior decorated with treasures like a giant tortoise shell–backed chair and a wall of vintage books. The drinks were not your average martinis and mojitos: The former was transformed with cider vinegar, carrots, and turmeric, while the latter got a moody twist with dark green spirulina.
Come dinnertime, the intimate group of guests was first ushered into the foyer for a staircase performance in which Broadway actors and dancers personified Dada’s star ingredients. The crowd couldn’t help but cheer as matcha expressed unbridled energy, and Schisandra berry seduced the evening’s emcee. Then, it was into the dining room, where three round tables were laid with Dada’s new Ta-Dada dinner party set, which, with its hand-shaped napkin rings, cheeky candle, and place cards, is meant to inspire whimsical gatherings. The center of each table was laden with golden fruit and vegetables, which Olshan had bought at the market earlier that day and gilded herself with spray paint.
“We wanted to break the rules of health food,” Olshan said of Dada Daily ahead of the meal, and each course of the evening aligned with that intention. Flower pots were filled with what appeared to be soil but turned out to be edible, and dover sole was served nestled in the sole of a sparkling Jimmy Choo. At dessert, guests were led into the kitchen, where the island had been scattered with a trio of puddings and sets of spoons—the directive was to eat directly off the table. “A dessert orgy!” Olshan announced; a final act of abandon for a sensuous feast of a night.
