Last Thursday, Dallas hosted its first Dîner en Blanc and I was one of the lucky ones who was invited to attend! Diner en Blanc is an all-white secret pop-up dinner that originated in Paris, France as a picnic. The iconic event has grown over the last almost 30 years and now takes place internationally in cities around the globe with thousands of dinner-goers popping up in public spaces around the city for an epic all-white fête.
Dallas' secret location was the Continental Avenue Pedestrian Bridge next to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge west of downtown Dallas. As is tradition, attendees were responsible for providing their own table for two, two white chairs, white linens, as well as a gourmet meal served on white china....and transporting everything all while looking effortlessly chic in white! The preparation that went into the event (mainly finding a suitable all-white ensemble for my date and myself!) was more difficult and time consuming than I anticipated. By the time we arrived at the secret location (after getting dressed, loading the car, sitting in traffic, unloading the car, loading the bus, sitting on the bus, unloading the bus, and setting up our table), I was saying "dinner better be worth all of this trouble!" Well, good news: it absolutely was. Phew!
Let's talk details. I wanted a white dress that would stand out amidst a sea of white. This one did the trick. Multiple people asked if this was my wedding dress. No, nor am I married (!!). I somehow found this gown online at NordstromRack.com along with three others that I ordered for good measure. My dresses arrived the day before the event, thanks to a kind UPS delivery person who read my note of desperation, pleading that my package be left without the required signature. I ordered two pairs of white ALDO shoes, which happened to be on sale- thank you summer clearance sales. So thankful that my outfit came together! I wore my favorite Kendra Scott earrings and Essie's "tuck it in my tux" nail polish. I think painting my nails white was unnecessary, but for some reason it felt very important while I was trying to squeeze an at-home manicure into my packed schedule the day before the event.
I purchased a roll-top camping table from REI (which I'm excited to have for future use!), these battery-powered tea lights, and a handy cart to help transport everything, but decided to rent two chairs and a tablecloth since those aren't items that I will likely use again. Instead of ordering a preset meal through Diner en Blanc, I partnered with a local restaurant, Savor (they hosted the most recent Dallas Blogger Brunch), who just launched a catering division called Farm to Market Catering, in addition to their already-existing specialty dessert brand, Pink Apron Pastry. They even prepared this adorable menu for our table, which thrilled me! I'm sure my guests would agree that partnering with Farm to Market Catering was the best decision I made during all of the planning that went into this event. This cheese and charcuterie selection was perfect- the tables around us were asking questions about our food because it looked so good! Luckily we made some new friends because we had plenty of food and were able to share.
Actually... that's not true. More than I like quiche, I love dessert. So when I pulled a mini mason jar trifle and these mini macarons out of the bag, my eyes lit up! The Farm to Market food bag was straight out of Mary Poppins- an unending supply of gourmet goodies to fill our plates.
After dessert, we ventured to the other side of the bridge, through rows and rows of white tables, to connect with friends who were also at the event, but not without stopping on the dance floor first!
DJ Jason Esquire kept the party going until the grand finale of the evening- a fireworks show over the bridge!
Diner en Blanc, you were truly a night to remember- I'm already planning for next year's event! A special thank you to Farm to Market Catering for the well-planned and delicious meal; you made every detail down to the menu and presentation special.