Dîner en Blanc Comes To New Haven Sept. 14th: A Magical Community Dinner with a Bit of Mystery

The first time I read about Dîner en Blanc, I was floored, mystified, envious even. Wait, what is this and where has it been all my life? Everyone dresses in white, carries all their accoutrement like tables, chairs, and picnic baskets yet they don’t know where they are dining? Let me in. It took a few years of watching from the sidelines before I threw myself into the mix, which was after the pandemic; now I’m hooked.

Dîner en Blanc is coming to New Haven this Fall, on September 14th, 2024.

Le Diner en Blanc is so much more than an event! It’s a unique cultural movement that empowers friends of friends to gather and celebrate their shared passions for life, food, fashion, and community, year after year, with a pinch of mystery and large serving of spontaneity.

My niece in Philly had attended so many times she became a party leaders who helps organize groups of “blind” diners. She would post these positively glowy images of herself with her husband, dolled up to the nines in an ethereal, head-to-toe, white lovely number, dancing alongside a thousand strangers. Each year the space would change, but would always be held in a big open space to fit the mile-long row of tables adorned in every type of table-setting, flowers, and candles. All in white.

I could see, as the sun goes down and the lights go up, no matter where you are, it becomes a magical moment in time. Dressing up, dancing, enjoying delicious food against a gorgeous city backdrop, while making a few thousand new friends. I wanted a slice of that.

Here’s an excerpt from a piece I wrote about it last year in Forbes Dining. The 2023 NYC iteration was extra special as it was the first time the event literally stopped traffic and took over the cobbles of The Meatpacking District. It was A PARTY!

A LITTLE HISTORY

In 1988 François Pasquier and a few friends organized a dinner party in Paris. As this was well before cell phones, the internet, or social media, they decided to wear white in order to add a little elegance to the atmosphere for their dinner party, but more importantly, to be able to find each other in Bois de Boulogne Park. The group had so much fun that they continued every year until the Paris experience grew to 1,000 guests. Now, the Dîner en Blanc in Paris hosts approximately 10,000 guests every year. In 2018, a record 17,000 guests from around the world gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the historic experience. The iconic white dinner party now happens annually on six continents, in 68 cities worldwide, and in 46 in the United States alone. According to Le Dîner en Blanc International, there are 70,000 people currently on the NYC waiting list and one million people on waiting lists worldwide.

The 2022 Dîner en Blanc was the first one I attended, even though I had learned about it a few years prior. As a food writer, home cook, Francophile, and self-professed dinner party fan, the event seemed right up my alley. “You have to wear white,” they said. “You bring your own gear,” they said. “The location is a secret,” they said. “It is one big party,” they said. That was enough for me to finally take the plunge and get on the waiting list.

Perhaps it’s because it was the first one after the pandemic or just beginner’s luck, but we didn’t have to wait very long. We have heard, however, many people wait for years. We got our tickets, stayed tuned in to social media posts, then about two week before the date the group chats began, and anticipation grew exponentially. On the big day, we gathered all accoutrements and met at the designated meeting point and time. What a rush it is to start seeing pockets of people dressed in white gathering together.

One of the many signatures of the Dîner en Blanc experience is the napkin wave, which signals dinner, accompanied by music and chatter with new friends.

Dressed in white from head to toe, carrying rolling tables, chairs, decor, and food throughout the city, there’s just nothing like it. You instantly become a part of a big community, with a mission to celebrate life and gather together. And when people stop you on the street to ask ‘’’what’s up?’’ or ask if they can take your picture, you quickly realize what a spectacle and special occasion Dîner en Blanc really is. From your groups meeting point, you await the sign from your leader that it is time take the next step; it’s time to hop on the train, or lug your gear several blocks.

The secret location is held so tightly that you really don’t fully realize where your dinner is going to be until you’re there. Waves of white cascade through the city streets as the sun starts to set and you’re sitting with thousands of your newest friends. Our first experience became such a memorable one that after getting engaged last year, my (now) husband and I decided Dîner en Blanc would be the theme for our wedding party. And although it wasn’t a secret, it became yet another magical night to remember.

We decided to go with a little 1920s flair for the 2023 dinner. We certainly hammed it up!

Secret Supper

Less involved but still dazzling and fun is the Secret Supper series created by husband and wife founders Jacob and Danielle Firle. Nearly a decade a go they created the venture out of a humble desire to gather people together against a beautiful backdrop with a lovely food, underscored by a dash of surprise. With Secret Suppers, you sign up in the town of your choosing—-the list of locations seems to grow by the month—but find out the exact spot just 24 hours prior. And, you wear what you want, and come empty-handed, ready to be wined and dined!

I got to enjoy a Secret Supper earlier this summer, which had an additional surprise element; it was called La Carte by Le Creuset and was a collaboration with guest California Chef Gaby Dalkin and…you guessed it, the mother of all cooking products: Le Creuset. You can read more about it all HERE, which includes Gaby’s delicious, light, vibrant summer menu.

The dinner was held at the Prospect Park Boathouse in Brooklyn on a perfect summer night. We were immediately welcomed with a little Rosé, then mingled for an hour alongside the water with our new dinner companions before listening to remarks about the special night from the founders and Gaby before being ushered into the gorgeous, long table, set in a parade of rosy peach floral arrangements and tableware.

Look at that beautiful blue sky! No filter. Equally as vibrant and bright, was Chef Gaby Dalkin who brought us a delicious summer menu.

The color was a signature of the evening, in honor of Le Creuset’s newest line and color, Pêche. Each guest got to go home with a gift: a mini round cocotte. I was happy that mine was the new color. It is so beautiful, I immediately began using it; even leaving out on my counter, it is so pretty.

And So…

Although the events I’ve shared are on a grander scale, I did think recently about how fun it could be to create ones own personal-sized, secret dinner series. Each group of friends could designate one person to take charge of planning an evening.

From creating a theme or not, requiring a dress code or not, and, ultimately, where to dine for the evening, for guests involved it would be a surprise. And, as many of us know—-especially those of us who LIVE for a good dinner party—the planning and orchestration of it all can be endlessly satisfying for you too, if you’re the one selected to plan the evening. Then your surprise comes from seeing the look on your friends’ faces as they step into an evening of your design.

Let’s give that a go, shall we?! If you do, let me know how it goes. Report back, and I’ll do the same.