Diner en Blanc: A Montclair Experiment

"Just read about a fantastic event in Paris," the letter began. "Ten thousand people gathered at different landmarks in Paris.  All dressed in white.  They brought tables and chairs, food and drinks, to dine outside.” 

The writer of the letter, Montclair resident Anita Kassel, was describing Diner En Blanc (Dinner in White), a quintesessentially Parisian dining experience that has been taking place in secret locations around the city for the past 20 years. 

Kind of like a fine dining flash mob, Diner En Blanc probably became popular because of its peculiar blend of secrecy, elegance and controlled quirkiness.  The way it works is, the date is announced beforehand but the location is kept secret until the last minute.  The diners show up dressed completely in white, dine elegantly on little tables they bring themselves, clean up every trace of their party and disappear into the night.  The event has grown, year by year, until it has become a sort of urban legend.  

Kassel was so taken with the idea she decided to organize a Diner En Blanc in Montclair. 

She put together email instructions to a chosen assemblage of sixty friends: "Bring your own table and chairs, bring your own food, bring some bug spray, dress in white."  Kassel called the event for Thursday, July 28 (last night) in Anderson Park.  Then she hit Send. 

Unlike the Paris event (as well its upcoming counterpart in New York City), the location of the Montclair event was disclosed at the outset. As Kassel explained afterward, "The Paris event is very exclusive. There are people who organize it and you have to be on the list.  I didn’t want this to feel exclusive.  I just told everyone who got my email to pass it on.  I thought we could get this going in a viral kind of way.”  

Last night Kassel showed up at the park, wearing white of course, with table, chairs and picnic at the ready.  Then she waited for the guests to arrive. 

It was called for 6:30.  By 6:35 only a few people had gathered to set up.  Kassel looked around, a little disappointed by the turnout.

“I thought we’d have more people,” she said.

Local artist Philemona Williamson took a pragmatic approach.  “Let’s not worry about who’s not here,” she said cheerfully. “Let’s just pay attention to who is.”

By 8:30 a few dozen guests had arrived.  People set up tables and some laid out blankets, picnic style.  Children were included.  Food was shared. Most people were dressed in white.  Bug spray was de rigueur.

Laura Torchio, President of Bike Montclair, was one of the diners.  She was accompanied by her husband, daughter, and her daughter’s friend.  “I sent the email out to my whole list,” she said.  “I thought more people would come.  I was going to suggest we have valet bike parking.”

Lois Whipple, Executive Director of the MFEE, showed up with a package of macaroons because the supermarket didn’t have any madeleines.  “I think we can make this big and viral,” she said. “I think people have become suspicious of free things."

Whipple, who is also on the waiting list for the 1000-guest New York City event that will be held on August 25th, was curious to see how this type of event might play out as a fundraiser.  “Really, a friend raiser.  Because I love the fact that this doesn’t cost anything.  Maybe we can get a lot of people to just dress in white and come out in support of our schools.”

The Anderson Park happening may have lacked some of the elegance of the Parisian event, and certainly the elitism, but it did have a certain je ne sais quoi.  The people who attended stayed and seemed to have a good time.  Meanwhile, in typical Montclair fashion, the passersby remained impassive about revelers in their midst.  The park was buzzing with runners, dog-walkers and folks out for a stroll; none seemed to give the diners a second glance. 

At dusk a police car (white) pulled up to the group and reminded everyone of park rules: no glass, no alcoholic beverages.  “Please card us all!” called out one guest as the officer walked back to his vehicle. 

Although it may not have seemed like much, the night did share at least one important element with the event in Paris.  The first Diner En Blanc had modest beginnings, according to the July 5th article in the New York Times. 

"It began humbly in 1988," stated the article. "That year, François Pasquier, now 67, returned to Paris after a few years abroad and held a dinner party to reconnect with friends. So many wanted to come that he asked them to convene at the Bois de Boulogne and to dress in white, so they could find each other."

Perhaps because Pasquier's first foray also began with just a small gathering of a few friends, Kassel is not to be deterred. Already considering dates and venues for next year, she mused,  “I think this is really fun and I think we should do one every year.  Maybe next year on Bastille Day.”

Linda Federico-O'Murchu contributed to this article.