People in Philly continue to be smartasses about Dîner en Blanc
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Git on yer eatin' pants.
Philly’s illustrious cultural mainstay for the food and fashion-loving elite (cough), Dîner en Blanc — you know it’s classy when there’s a fancy accent over your vowels — pissed everyone off when its registration system crashed on July 17, when 10,000 people who every season order exclusively the entire J. Crew collection tried to log in to buy tickets.
The registration and login instructions for Blanc are ludicrously hush-hush and no less confusing than your average quantum physics textbook, and everyone was really agitated anyway.
In response, a cancer researcher named Chris Nowaczyk decided to organize his own event, Dîner en Noir. Noir will also happen on Aug. 21 at an undisclosed location, and will cost $50 for a table for two, $62 for now-sold-out communal tables. Blanc was $68.50 for two. Noir will donate all proceeds that exceed costs to Philabundance.
Now, there’s an even cheaper (free) and more tongue-in-cheek dining out event that day— Dîner in Sweatpants. On Aug. 21, from 5:30 to 8:30 in Clark Park, join other sweatpants-ed diners and BYOB blanket, dinner (or buy it there from food trucks) and booze. You get a free gift when you register. We hope it's a funny T-shirt with holes in it.
Just saying, though—how hilarious would it be if Dîners Blanc and Noir both unknowingly scheduled their respective events at Clark Park, as well? Can you imagine the scandal, darlings?
Register here.
