Ekaterina Semenova Conway
Painter & Tattoo Artist
Location: East Village Apartment
Vol. 05 is an evening with Ekaterina Semenova Conway — a painter and tattoo artist from Moscow, three years into New York. An intimate dinner in the East Village shaped by where she came from and everything she’s picked up since.
Katya (Ekaterina Semenova Conway) is a Moscow-born tattoo artist and painter whose work lives in tension — between softness and aggression, control and chaos, intimacy and rebellion. Raised in a large family, full of intellectuals and shaped by early influences like chess and generational artistry, she developed a visual language that blends abstract realism with surreal, rule-breaking instinct.
Her journey from Russia to New York — through Paris and Barcelona — wasn’t just geographic, but deeply personal. Political activism, displacement, and lived resistance inform her perspective, giving her work an emotional weight that feels both confrontational and vulnerable. She creates to provoke — to make people uncomfortable, then draw them in closer.
Now based in New York, Katya channels that same philosophy into tattooing — treating the human body as both canvas and connection point. Her work is permanent, intimate, and unapologetically hers — marked by contrast, memory, and a refusal to follow rules.
Charcuterie — Parm, Jamón, Brie, Salted Fish, Black Rye
This mirrors how she eats at home — communal, unstructured, pulling from both European staples and Russian essentials. The black rye and salted fish ground this course in her upbringing, while the cheese and jamón reflect her life now.
Patatas Bravas, Sriracha Aïoli
A nod to her time living in Spain, love for sriracha, and casual, shareable plates. It represents that late-night, slightly chaotic energy she thrives in.
Rocket Salad — Roasted Peppers, Chestnut, Cherry Vinaigrette
Built from memory — arugula (rocket) from her grandmother’s garden, peppers she learned to love later, and chestnut and cherry bringing in Eastern European warmth and balance.
Pelmeni — Russian Tom Yum Soup Dumplings
A fusion of her cultural base and her mom’s influence cooking Thai food at home. It represents movement, travel, and flavors colliding naturally.
Fried Shrimp, Caviar, Crème Fraîche
Directly tied to her childhood — fried shrimp was a staple — but elevated with caviar to reflect her Russian roots and that contrast between grit and luxury.
Masala Chai & Russian Tea Cookies
Tea is ritual for her — something grounding at the end. The pairing keeps dessert light, nostalgic, and communal rather than overly indulgent.
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Miles Dixon & Elijuh Vuhlet
Clothing Designers
Location: Red Hook, Brooklyn
Vol. 06 is an afternoon outside in Red Hook — two close friends, two different ways of life, one table. Doors at 5pm. Address shared one week prior.
Elijah learned the value of family and community early. Growing up Dominican and Puerto Rican between Long Island and the LES, his first references for food and clothing were rooted in function. Over time that foundation evolved — he found punk, and with it a natural overlap between distressed aesthetics and workwear sensibility. The result feels honest. His clothes, his attitude, his presence all bring people together — don’t let the ripped hats or head tat confuse you.
Miles is a Brooklyn kid. He grew up on a MetroCard and a sense of freedom, moving through the city with curiosity. That world expanded when he moved to Germany, but eventually it pushed beyond place altogether. Miles leans toward the fantastical. Through his brand, Real Fantasy, he brings those ideas back down to earth — grounded in American workwear. His taste in food reflects that same utility, especially in his deep love for sandwiches. Whether it’s early memories at The Odeon or a lifelong connection to the BEC, everything he creates builds on the culture that raised him.
Smoked Beef Bacon Egg and Cheese
Papi lemme get a bacon egg and cheese, Mayo, salt, pepper, spicy ketchup — on a potato roll
Our conversation with Miles made two things clear: he is New York through and through, and he cares deeply about his sandwiches. There’s no better way to honor that than going straight for the city’s jugular.
Wedge Salad w/ Chicharrón de Pollo, Dominican Fried Cheese & Creamy Passionfruit Dressing
The brasserie meets the Caribbean
Light, fresh flavors colliding head first with rich, familiar Dominican comfort. This course lives at the intersection of where things started and where they are now. It was Miles who pushed to bring Elijah into this dinner — a small, genuine act that shaped the entire direction of the night. His memories at The Odeon meet Elijah’s Caribbean roots here. This is what Life Through Food is about.
Whole Roast Pig w/ Moro de Guandules
Smokers in full effect
Y’all, it’s a cookout. Slow-roasted pork with glass skin, served alongside rice with pigeon peas and coconut milk — an iconic pairing. Spending time with Elijah made one thing obvious: everything comes back to community. This had to be big, shared, and felt. A proper finale rooted in gathering and kinship.
Chilled Watermelon
A cool, refreshing way to transition us to the next chapter of the night.
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