Do you need a romantic dinner getaway but only have one evening? Get ready, because “Le Dîner en Blanc” is coming back to NYC. The French-inspired pop-up picnic presents unforgettable dinners in mystery locations. Guests dress up and gather for live music and dancing at an outdoor venue revealed at the very last minute. All you need–besides yourselves, your picnic basket, and your silverware–is an invitation. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Le Dîner en Blanc, despite its massive scope, is equally exclusive and elusive. If you’re just hearing about it now, you don’t have much time to act if you want to experience the picnic of a lifetime.
Hundreds of guests gather at one of Le Dîner en Blanc NYC’s pop-up locations in 2017.
Le Dîner en Blanc was founded in 1988 by François Pasquier. What started as a word-of-mouth tradition amongst friends has risen to global proportions–this year’s event aims to feed more than 130,000 people across 80 cities in 30 countries. New York City’s event alone will have 5,500 guests. Dîner en Blanc International was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. It didn’t hit the US until 2011, when the first Dîner en Blanc opened in NYC.
Registration is always for two, and goes out in three phases: the first phase is for attendees of the previous year, the second is new members referred by phase one members, and the third is for people who signed up on a waiting list. Phase One has already begun, so find your closest Phase One member before it’s too late. Hit up your closest celebrity friend, or that woman at work who always talks about the coolest parties. If all else fails, hop on that wait list ASAP.
Let’s say you find your Phase One friend, or you get picked off of the waitlist. Congratulations! You and your plus one are on your way to a night out or romantic dinner. Now you need the outfit. The dress code calls for all-white clothes and elegance, but leaves the rest to the imagination. Creativity is encouraged. A white three-piece suit and top hat? Queen Victoria’s wedding gown set in an all-white punk aesthetic? Let your imagination soar, as long as it stays elegant and tasteful. Just make sure it’s something you can walk in.
NYC attendees pose in their Dîner en Blanc outfits.
Next comes supplies. You’ll need a folding table, two white chairs, and a white tablecloth. You’ll need a picnic basket filled with fine food, proper stemware, and white dinnerware. Catered picnic basket options will be available to those who reserve them upon registration, but many guests prepare their own individualized gourmet meals. Don’t forget a garbage bag (also white).
Le Dîner en Blanc guests set up their own romantic dinner settings.
So there you have it. Your chance to take part in a worldwide, top-secret picnic with you, a person of your choice, and 130,000 of your closest friends from around the world. Move quickly though, that waitlist had 64,000 people on it last year.
PHOTOGRAPHER BARBARA MENSCH HAS SPENT 30 YEARS PHOTOGRAPHING THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE AND THE SEAPORT
By Deborah L. Martin
Photography and excerpts by Barbara Mensch
From her loft on Water Street, Barbara Mensch can almost touch the massive approach to the Brooklyn Bridge. “It’s my muse, it is always with me,” she says. For over 30 years, Mensch has been photographing the Bridge and the Seaport area, and her work is a visual and oral history of an area that is a fascinating part of the history of New York City. Her books—In the Shadow of Genius and South Street—reveal hidden truths about one of the most storied neighborhoods in New York. In 1999, Mensch was given unprecedented access to photograph inside the massive stone structures that make up the approach.
From In the Shadow of Genius: I showed up at the makeshift office, located in a trailer next to the bridge. The foreman gave me a hardhat and an industrial flashlight, then he designated one of the construction workers, “Big Mike,” to escort me. As we walked through the same open door that I had peered into months before, groups of laborers, carrying tools and safety gear, were going in and out. With a rush of excitement, I was about to explore the depths of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Following my escort through the metal entrance, my eyes adjusted to the void illuminated only by a few construction lights. The smell of mildew and choking dust intensified as we continued further in. I wrapped a handkerchief around my nose and mouth, following my guide who pointed with his flashlight to a large hole in the ground, which seemed to reach down to at least fifty feet. The long ladder, placed without any reliable support, was leaning to one side of the hole. Descending the ladder first, “Big Mike” shouted: “Follow me.”
The South Street seaport bears little resemblance today to its rough and tumble fish market beginnings. Its history is the origin story of New York itself, and that history is riddled with romantic seafaring adventurers, rule- breakers, mob bosses, and hard-working men and women who built this city with calloused hands, bent backs, and the basic human desire to survive. Mensch’s South Street captures the Seaport—through photos and stories—in all of its rough drama and determination.
From South Street: I crossed Pearl Street, past the Seaport park, and who comes along but the captain on the N.Y.C. police force. “Frankie, we were out in Brooklyn today, we’d like to talk to you.” And then along the sidewalk comes this Irish guy that we’d see hangin’ around the market every night. We nicknamed him “The Beard.” He came walking up briskly. He acted very personable. Then he said, “Would you like to get into the car so we can sit down and talk?” In the car they told me, “Be a survivor, so-and-so is going to go to jail, and his brother, and so-and-so from Peck Slip is going to jail, you be a survivor. We know how it is down there, we see you work hard, you get all that fish water on you, and the smell, and working hard, and you get wet, you have to work hard for a living, we see what it’s like down there in that market, it’s a rough place, that’s a terrible place.” They kept trying to impress upon me to be a survivor. A lot of people were going to go down. And I could make up my mind, make a decision, save myself and not go down with the rest. I called my lawyer that night and went the next day and found out that they were going to give me immunity.
Luxury women’s brand SNIDEL teamed up with the legendary rock band Queen for an extremely limited collection of pullovers, totes, and phone cases available only at their Lower East Side flagship store. If your Oscar party requires you to dress in theme with the nominees, this collection is a perfect way for you to show your love of Bohemian Rhapsody and its five nominations. Peep the items below then head to 144 Orchard Street to pick up an item from the exclusive collection.
Our great city, New York was the first city in the U.S. to host the worlds largest dinner party. Since then it has been a mad rush for Le Dîner en Blanc enthusiasts to sign up year after year.
September 17, 2018, the wildly popular event will make its return to the Big Apple for the 8th consecutive year.Over 6500 guests dressed head-to-toe in chic white will gather at an iconic undisclosed location to dine and dance under the stars.
30th Anniversary DEB
Can you believe that this year marked the 30th anniversary of the world renown Le Dîner en Blanc?
Mais bien sûr, it was befitting to hold its 30th right where the magnificent dinner party made its debut, Paris France. A record-breaking 17,000 guests from France and around the world gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides to celebrate this historic moment.
The legendary all-white French-inspired pop-up dinner party has become the must-attend culinary event of the year in the U.S. and cities around the world. A worldwide phenomenon, this year over 130,000 people in 80 cities spanning 30 countries will attend. To preserve spontaneity and secrecy, the elegant dinner takes over iconic public spaces whose locations are revealed at the last minute to the delight of thousands of guests.
We are thrilled to share with you Downtown’s renowned chef and Michelin Star recipient restaurateur, Marc Forgione will be curating four special picnic baskets for guests in New York who order through Le Dîner en Blanc. Forgione was featured in Downtown Magazine in 2013, riding a wave of success since opening his eponymous restaurant Marc Forgione in 2008 along with multiple locations of his modern steakhouse, American Cut. You can find this delicious eatery right here in Tribeca, Downtown New York. Chef Forgione won season 3 of Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef” at just 31 years old, making him the youngest winner in the show’s history and is currently one of the Iron Chefs on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” His father Larry Forgione is a culinary legend who revolutionized American-style cooking in the ’70s and ’80s.
Chef Marc Forgione
“I’m excited to be a part of one of the biggest, most sensational events in the world. I’ve always heard that Le Dîner en Blanc is an unparalleled and revolutionary experience and I can’t wait to contribute some of my signature dishes and inventive flavors to the party!” Chef Marc Forgione
DEB NYC Lincoln Center
This must-attend dinner party is by invitation only, traditionally issued by friends and friends of friends who have participated in the past. Another means of attending is via the often-extensive wait lists in each city.
The event has proven to be such a beloved tradition that across the country the number of cities has increased to 32 with five premieres in 2018 alone: Charlotte, Decatur, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Memphis, and Wilmington. While new cities join the adventure every year, in some cities like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Le Dîner en Blanc has become the social gathering of the year, move over Met Gala!
Internationally four cities have joined this extraordinary dinner party this year, Toowoomba (Australia), South Georgian Bay and Trois-Rivières (Canada) Madrid (Spain), as well as five new countries: Santiago (Chile), Cartagena (Colombia), Havana (Cuba), Taipei (Taiwan) and Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania).
Be sure to keep an eye on your favorite city, over the next few years as this dinner party continues to expand!
DEB Vancouver
Looking for an excuse to be outlandishly dressed from head to toe in white?
Dîner en Blanc Romance
Guests dine on their own specially curated meals such as lobster, charcuterie, cheese platters, baguettes and desserts, many dishes as opulent as their attire.
Dîner en Blanc offers guests the ultimate opportunity to express their unique fashion and design style. Originality is encouraged; the creative outfits, fantastical hats, and decorative table settings are always a fabulous spectacle. It’s an Instagram lover’s dream — some participants dress as Marie Antoinette with lavishly detailed gowns and wigs. Other ensembles include gowns embellished with string lights, fairy wings, silk tuxedos, dapper sailor suits, powdered wigs, enormous picture hats, and headpieces. The elaborate white table centerpieces range from a miniature carousel centerpiece with each horse carrying a white or silver cupcake to birds in white cages and paper lanterns affixed with LED lights and candelabras.
Diner en Blanc 2017 Querataro photo Mauricio De La Vega 20.jpg
To get a sense of the incredible visuals and how the evening unfolds, here is the 2017 official video of Le Dîner en Blanc – New York.
Linda Davis and Kaitlin Davis of The Davis Group return this summer as the host for Le Dîner en Blanc – New York, along with co-hosts Christine Tripoli of Looking Glass Events Group and Peter Kohlmann of PEKO Productions. Davis, who serves as host in four U.S. cities, says the Big Apple holds a special place in her heart. She explains, “Le Dîner en Blanc first debuted in New York before expanding to other U.S. cities and guests here have developed an extraordinarily passionate bond with the event. They bring a glamour and elegance—along with preparing amazing repasts—that make this an incomparable night in New York. I am thrilled to be a part of such a magical evening again.
LeDîner en Blanc – New York gratefully acknowledges our 2018 Le Dîner en Blanc U.S. national partners.
About Luxury Retreats
Luxury Retreats a full-service villa rental company dedicated to creating authentic travel experiences. Our complimentary guest support includes a team of villa specialists dedicated to finding our guests the perfect home to stay in, and a 24/7 personal concierge service to assist with details big and small. For more information on Luxury Retreats, visit luxuryretreats.com.
About Sofitel
Sofitel Hotels & Resorts is an ambassador of modern French style, culture, and art-de-vivre around the world. Established in 1964, Sofitel is the first international luxury hotel brand to originate from France with over 120 chic and remarkable hotels in the world’s most sought-after destinations. Sofitel exudes a refined and understated sense of modern luxury, always blending a touch of French decadence with the very best of the locale. The Sofitel collection includes such notable hotels as Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, Sofitel London St James, Sofitel Munich Bayerpost, Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema, Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, and Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort. Sofitel is part of AccorHotels, a world-leading travel and lifestyle group which invites travelers to feel welcome at more than 4,300 hotels, resorts, and residences, along with some 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe. More at sofitel.com.
About ONEHOPE
Located in the heart of Napa Valley, ONEHOPE’s mission is to bring people together to celebrate and serve the world. Each of ONEHOPE’s thoughtfully-crafted products supports a charitable cause, empowering people to do more good through everyday actions. Primarily produced in collaboration with Rob Mondavi Jr., ONEHOPE provides award-winning wine with a measurable social impact. Since its launch, more than $3 million in donations have been made to help feed the hungry, provide clinical trials for cancer patients, find forever homes for shelter animals, and much more. For more information on ONEHOPE, visit ONEHOPEwine.com.
The Knot
The Knot is the nation’s leading multiplatform wedding resource offering a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and local wedding pros to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com and #1 iOS and Android mobile app. The Knot Wedding Planner, The Knot national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series.
CHAMPAGNE JACQUART was born in1964 when around 30 craftsmen winegrowers decided to start an incredibleadventure: share their know-how and theirexceptional vineyards in order to createhigh-quality wines. Today Champagne JACQUART is as much as ever a mosaic of chalk, vine, andtalents that work every day to build the history of the brand.Audacious, passionate and firmly modern oriented, CHAMPAGNE JACQUART isproudly entering its future.https://www.champagne-jacquart.com
We have our whites being prepared, as should, you if you are lucky enough to secure a ticket!
Ever wondered what it would be like to time travel to a past era? The Roaring Twenties, perhaps? Residents of 63 Wall Street in the Financial District have the privilege of (sorta) doing so by means of their exclusive access to a brand new speakeasy in their building. Designed by interior design firm The Design High, this vintage speakeasy is a truly beautiful space. With its original chandeliers, wood flooring and wood paneling, as well as its velvet seating, emerald tones and marble bar, the space is ornately and beautifully decorated.
Residents of 63 Wall Street truly get to experience what it would be like to visit a speakeasy on Wall Street in the 1920s. The bar is hidden, and is very exclusive.
INSIDE LOOK
Check out the photos below to get a taste of the authenticity and beauty of this exclusive space.
When it comes to food in Lower Manhattan, you can find countless eateries on nearly every street of the busy and bustling city. Everything from small coffee shops, upscale restaurants, and your favorite chain bakeries always provides a variety to choose from. Nearly anything you might crave at any time of the day can be found Downtown, but one of New York’s true hidden gems can only be found above 23rd Street: Canelé by Céline.
Located exclusively in its Upper East Side location, Canelé by Céline is the only boutique in Manhattan with mini French pastries that will bring your taste buds right to the heart of France in a single bite.
Your palette is first greeted by the pastry’s caramelized crust, and it slowly gives way to the moist custard-like center. The soft texture of the tenderly elegant and sophisticated canelé combined with the rich flavor of Céline’s final creations will keep you wanting more with each bite.
Photo from Paul Wax
Céline’s canelés have an authentic French Taste that can’t be found in any other Manhattan eatery. As the only shop catered specifically to canelés and French financiers, Canelé by Céline’s feature many different variations of the delicate treat.
“Even in France they don’t really play with the different flavors,” Céline said when asked about what makes her boutique different from other canelé locations in Manhattan. “The most common one is vanilla base with rum, and I thought it would be nice to add more variety, especially when you have one product.”
Both sweet and savory flavors can be found on the daily menu with choices that are strictly unique to the boutique; from the most popular vanilla and dark chocolate pastries, to the savory Parmesan cheese and basil pesto canelés. Céline’s wide array of flavors almost always run out by the end of each day. It’s hard to refrain after you’ve had just one, and there’s no question why after you’ve indulged in Céline’s perfect creations.
“When you have one of the mini canelés, you want to try another flavor,” Céline continued.
Aside from the vanilla and dark chocolate flavors, the caramel and pistachio seem to be two of the other most popular pastries at the Upper East Side boutique. July’s flavor of the month, raspberry, also seems to be doing so well that they are considering placing it on the shop’s permanent menu. However, Céline’s personal favorites are the pistachio and lemon.
Photo from Paul Wax
When asked about a flavor for Downtown, Céline recommends both sweet and savory, noting the difference that having a combination really makes. She recommends the caramel and raspberry for sweet, and the black truffle for savory.
“That’ll be the one people will love,” Céline said.
Canelé by Céline is one of Manhattan’s best hidden gems. When a little Upper East Side shop became available just seven months ago, Céline took the opportunity right away. Ever since then, she’s experimented with all types of new flavors and she continues to try new ones when they come to mind. Although her pastries can only be found at her 82nd Street boutique and in select hotels, she is looking to expand her reach and open another shop further down the island.
“I’d love to go Downtown,” Céline said. “I’d love to be in SoHo or TriBeCa.”
Lower Manhattan will hopefully be home to a new Canelé by Céline boutique in the next few years. The aroma of the freshly baked mini French pastries will be enough to lure you in and keep you coming back for more. Canelé by Céline is one not to miss.
