Ideas for a fun and delicious summer and other food news
Hello friends,
Given that the pleasant weather in Rochester is way too short, there's no time to waste. It takes planning to take full advantage of our spectacular summers.
To help our subscribers, I compiled a month-by-month guide featuring the various food-related festivals, food truck rodeos and other delicious events around the Rochester area.
One event that's new to Rochester this year: Le Dîner en Blanc, a posh, exclusive event that started in Paris and is now held in dozens of cities worldwide. It will be held Wednesday, July 27.
I spent an evening scrolling through social media posts and reading up on other cities to learn more about it.
Here's the scenario: Hundreds of people (or, depending on the city, thousands), dressed all in white, descend upon a public space for an elegant dinner kicked off by waving cloth napkins in the air. There's dining, music, dancing, sparklers — and lots and lots of photos and Instagram posts. Sounds lovely, right?
Here's where it gets interesting: The location is not announced in advance. Once disclosed, people schlep their own tables, white chairs, white tablecloths, white picnic basket, proper stemware and gourmet meal to the appointed location. The cost of admission — if you are lucky enough to score an invitation — starts at $43.
It's worth noting that the event is rain or shine, so if there's rain in the forecast, be sure to take rain gear and/or an umbrella. (And yes, that also has to be white, or clear.) During New York City's 2019 event, a torrential downpour complete with thunder and lightning sent guests scrambling for cover. Some people took it in stride, while others howled that the evening was waste of time and money.
At cities where the events are held, there are detractors who say the dinner is pretentious and scoff at its many rules.
Some argue that a public place shouldn't be usurped for an exclusive event. (Rochester crossed that bridge, so to speak, with the annual Dinner on the Bridge, also included in my story.) And others think this kind of event should be associated with a charity. (The aforementioned Dinner on the Bridge is a fundraiser for Greentopia).
To be honest, I understand the detractors, but it sounds like fun. What do you think? Feel free to send me an email. And to get on the waiting list, head to rochester.dinerenblanc.com.
That's it for this week. Scroll down for more food news and have a delicious week.
Tracy Schuhmacher, food, drink and culture reporter
Until next week, keep up on Rochester's food scene by going to our summer food guide, which is updated frequently.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: RocFlavors: Ideas for a fun and delicious summer, and other food news
