A Family-Style Feast at Garden Cafe's Neverland-Themed Bangarang Ball

East Dallas gem Garden Cafe has a loyal following as a cozy neighborhood restaurant, ideal for lazy Sunday meals of chicken and dumplings; but on September 28, they'll turn all that on its head when they host the Bangarang Ball, a self-described evening of "all around craziness."

The event is the brainchild of Cafe Momentum sous chef Justin Box, who says the event was partially inspired by his love of the movie Hook (hence the name). He promises "classy chaos": They'll have circus clowns on stilts, bartenders serving trashcan punch and a special to-be-announced live music performance. A family-style dinner will feature whole roasted goats and over a dozen different dishes by Box as well as Garden Cafe's own Mark Wootton and notable locals Graham Dodds of Hibiscus, Nicole Gossling of Secret Supper Club and Scott Tobey of Origin Kitchen & Bar. "I'm more than grateful to be working with such talented chefs," says Box.

Local design maven Ben Lewis of Lost Angles (whose work can be seen at Trinity Groves' Chino Chinatown, amongst other places) will be creating a Neverland-esque ambiance inside the garden; the flyer design was hand-painted by local artist Lauren Call (her work will also be auctioned off at the event). Tickets for the Bangarang Ball are $100 per person $85 per person if purchased in advance; purchase here. POST UPDATE: Per Garden Cafe, expect the menu to include whole roast goat, Moroccan couscous, razor clam chowder, "black bayou" paella, "Baked Charlie," panang short ribs, mushroom duxelles and duck confit, "ancient grains and power greens," prickly pear hand pies, squash cobbler, and honey-peach panna cotta. Whoa.

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