On May 18, Open House New York hosted its Open City Benefit, a “celebration of the power of place and new possibilities for our city.” They celebrated at the newly transformed Powerhouse Arts; the just-opened venue – once a power plant – is now a contemporary art center and large-scale fabrication studio. As long-time OHNY supporters (Liz Neumark, CEO and Founder of Great Performances, currently sits on the board), we were thrilled to be their catering partner for this 400-person gala.

Powerhouse Arts is a dynamic venue for an event. Large, open spaces provide the perfect canvas for the most active imaginations. As caterers feeding 400 people family-style, it presented a significant challenge: due to the size and scope of the space and event, serving a hot meal would be challenging.

Morgan Golumbuk, Senior Event Director, collaborated with the OHNY team and GP Culinary Director Andrew Smith to curate a menu that would be delicious served at room temperature. We developed two brand-new seasonal protein dishes for the occasion and engaged with partner Eat Offbeat to provide a couple of their incredibly delicious recipes (that just happened to be vegan!): their Chickpea Salad and their Iraqi Sumac Salad.

We tapped into a local source for dessert, serving rainbow-sprinkled cake pops, chocolate-covered Oreos with vibrant drizzles, and multi-hued macarons from Buttermilk Bakeshop. The colorful theme was a nod to the dynamic graffiti and murals covering the venue’s historic brick walls.