By Janet Susan R. Nepales
Where in the world can you party with friends and strangers, wear your fabulous white outfit, go over-the-top with your all-white table setting, and dine, party, and dance the night away under the stars in a magical Los Angeles setting?
All this is possible if you join the legendary pop-up event, Dîner en Blanc, the world’s largest dinner party in Los Angeles on August 1st. After a seven-year hiatus, the unique celebration is back in the City of Angels, and more than 1,500 guests dressed entirely in fabulously creative white getups will gather at a secret landmark location for one of the world’s most coveted culinary and cultural gatherings.
To date held in more than 120 cities across six continents, 33 in the U.S. this year, including New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Charlotte and Atlanta, Dîner en Blanc attracts devoted followers around the globe, with nearly two million people currently on wait lists to attend. Guests bring everything needed for an elegant soirée—from gourmet picnic fare, fine china, and silverware to white tablecloths, elaborate tablescapes, and folding tables and chairs.
In Los Angeles, some guests will elevate the experience even further with specially curated gourmet dinners by celebrated chef Todd English, a four-time James Beard Award winner.
The event started in Paris and was inspired by French elegance, Dîner en Blanc has evolved into a global phenomenon and is one of the world’s most sought-after culinary and cultural experiences. Far more than an event, it is a global cultural movement that brings people together to celebrate food, fashion, friendship, and community.
Dîner en Blanc transforms dining into art, fashion into a statement, strangers into friends, and city nights into unforgettable experiences where community, style, and gastronomy converge under the stars. Every guest contributes to creating a magical atmosphere.
The signature moment of the evening is the waving of thousands of white cloth napkins to mark the start of dinner. At night’s end, guests pack up their crystal, dinnerware, and tables, leaving behind no trace of the evening’s elegant revelry.
The secret location will be revealed on the day of the event. Some of the places that the event was held included the Music Center, Rodeo Drive, Pasadena, Santa Monica Pier, Coliseum Rose Garden, and Pershing Square.
This year, the theme is Une Soirée Parisienne – La Belle Époque. Elegant. Timeless. Unapologetically French.
With Diner en Blanc International’s visionary Co-Founder and President Sandy Safi at the helm, building and overseeing an ever-expanding global network, the chic pop-up dinner has become a beloved tradition across six continents, with each location injecting its own unique culture and culinary voice.
The Los Angeles event will be hosted by three indefatigable hard-working women – Monica Castaneda, Josellyne Del Rosario and Elena Leaf.
In exclusive virtual interviews, we were able to talk to Castaneda and Del Rosario, who revealed more details about the event.
To purchase tickets to the event, you may go to https://losangeles.
Monica Castaneda
Congratulations on being part of Diner en Blanc. Can you tell me how you got involved in this project?
Sure. It was in 2023. I was lucky enough to meet Sandy (Safi), who is the company’s CEO, and I just loved the concept of the event, how it brings everybody together. It’s a sense of community. It’s themed out. I love the zero-carbon footprint of the event that you just create a magical, beautiful space in an outdoor venue within the city, and then it’s gone the next day. Actually, that night we cleaned up that night. So that concept was very special and intriguing to me. I decided to become a partner in Miami and Los Angeles.
How do you collaborate with your two other hosts? How do you divide the work?
My two other co-hosts are local, which is important to build the sense of community. Josellyne really is in the food and beverage industry. So, she really helped with getting a local partner to execute Chef Todd English’s vision for the baskets. So, she took that role and it was great. And the baskets are beautiful. Elana and I are focusing on production, basically music with lighting, and just to make the venue really special. So that’s how we divvy it up. Then we have obviously our admins and local partners who help us with social media and all of those great things.
Since you have been involved with it, what cities have you covered?
Only Miami. And this is my first Los Angeles. So, it’s very exciting.
Why was there a hiatus in Los Angeles for seven years? Why didn’t it happen in Los Angeles?
I really can’t answer that. That’s a Sandy question, but COVID just brought everything to a halt. And then to get a partner again to showcase the city, it takes a little time. And COVID was a big hit. And even though it was quite a bit ago. We are now seeing the industry slowly move forward and bringing back these events is back on the timeline for a lot of people. So, we’re excited.
What dishes has the James Beard chef Todd English prepared for this event?
So, he created a Cali French basket that is a fusion between Californian cuisine and French cuisine. It has a salad with ahi tuna, a steak au poivre baguette sandwich and a mushroom quiche Lorraine, amongst other things, within the basket. Then he also created an Asian dim sum basket. It has chicken breast, Hainan style, noodles wrapped lobster rolls, tuna poke bowl with brown rice, amongst other yummy things. There are like four other things in the basket again. And then, of course, being California, we have plants and earth baskets. It has a black chickpea dal, shiitake mushroom empanadas, heirloom mixed beet salad, and an avocado piccata taco. So, the baskets are beautiful. He’s a James Beard winner and he has entrusted Patina Restaurants to bring his vision to life. And Patina is local in LA County, so that is very special to us. We want to create a community event, so we partner with local companies and entities.
What made you decide who the chef will be for this particular event?
We went back and forth, and obviously LA is such an iconic city, and Chef Todd really works with Sandy for New York, and it just seemed like a no-brainer to have him also join the LA city as part of his repertoire. He also has restaurants in Nevada. I think of him as a foreign chef, but he has roots in the US, which is great. And it was just really special for him to be on board with us.
I’m a Filipino American. Would there be a chance for a Filipino American chef who’s also a James Beard winner to be considered for your future events?
Absolutely. And if you can send some names, we’d love to invite them. They should see the event. It’s just so special. The meals are ingrained in the event. Breaking bread with your neighbor is a special moment. So absolutely, we would love to have a conversation about that.
What are the challenges you have encountered or experienced for this event?
City permits. It’s difficult. LA is a bustling hub. So, when you talk about closing a street and bringing all of those things to life, especially because the event has to be broken down the night of. So that creates a lot of challenges because the permit has to be active for many hours. But luckily, we have some great partners within the county that helped us out. So that was really the biggest hurdle. But we were able to come together, and we’re super excited to bring our vision to life.
What’s the biggest number of guests that you have had to handle?
Miami was at 600 last year, and the last time it was in Los Angeles, it was 3,000 guests.
So yeah, that’s a big number. We are expecting, since it’s been dark for so many years, I am expecting 1,500 guests. That’s a lot.
How do you handle security? You have a lot of police officers there guarding?
Yes. We work with the county, and they give us their guidelines of every hundred, every hundred or 200 guests will require an officer. So, there will be officers and fire marshals on site.
What makes you decide on what particular place to host the event?
I have a long wish list, and it’s really working with the partners to see what’s available. We need to take advantage of that beautiful California weather, but it does get chilly at night in the winter. So, always early fall or spring are ideal, and it’s just that the space has to be available. That’s how we choose from year to year.
So, aside from dancing, will there be any live entertainment as well?
We have live entertainment. There will be live music; there will be a DJ. The event is a gourmet dinner for the first couple of hours. Then we have, which is signified by our napkin wave, where everybody grabs their white napkins and waves them in the air. That signifies dinner, and then our sparkler moment is where everybody grabs their sparkler. We light it at the same time, and that signifies the dancing portion. So those are our two signature moments.
Can you talk about your most memorable event at Diner en Blanc?
My favorite portion of the event is the napkin wave because it signifies breaking bread with your neighbor. And that is a sense of community that not many events have. To really meet other people who live in your city, and you’re all coming together to share this lovely meal that is very special.
I know people come in white, extravagant fashion. What were some of the standouts for you?
I’ve seen wedding dresses. I have seen white light outfits, which are just super fun. But the theme this year is Belle Époque. We are going to go all the way. We have gift cards available for best dressed male, best dressed female. And then also our best Tablescape is going to get a $250 gift certificate. That is sponsored by Bright Rentals, which is also a local LA County company. They’re just going to make sure that the event is beautiful. They’re bringing in all of the elements to outfit our site.
Can you describe some of your memorable table setups?
Yes. Remember, our table is small. It’s only for two people. And I saw a 2.5ft candelabra in the middle of the table with beautiful white candles that just light up for dinner. They go crazy. I’ve seen pearl tablecloths, just people really owning not only the fashion, but also the way that they share the meal.
Is there a limit to the number of guests, or is there no limit? You mentioned 3,000 was the biggest number of guests.
Yes. There is no limit. It depends on the venue. So, we work with the venue close to make sure that we can have as many guests as possible.
And why do you think people should go to this event?
Because it’s time to have a little fun. It’s time to enjoy your city. It’s time to disconnect from your phone and enjoy and meet your neighbor. Have fun dressing up, have fun having a meal, and enjoy the beauty of LA.
Have you brought your family to the event?
Yes. My parents and my siblings.
And what did they enjoy most?
My siblings enjoyed the sparkler moment just because it signifies the dancing. And my parents enjoyed the fashion because they couldn’t believe that somebody would wear a wedding dress to an event.
But have there been weddings held there?
Yes, New York has had weddings and engagements. That is correct. And so has Paris.
Other tips you want to give to potential guests to make the event very memorable for them?
Go crazy with your outfit. It’s okay. Because we are there with you. You’re not going to be the only one dressed up. All of us are dressing up. And just really enjoy this time to come out and share with your neighbor. So, we’re expecting all Angelenos to come out and join us.
You are also providing some tables for some people?
Yes. You are more than welcome to bring your own food and to bring your own tables and chairs. But if you don’t want to carry anything, we’ve got you covered. And you can buy packages where tables and chairs are included and where the food is included as well. The only thing that you cannot bring on site is the wine. Just because of county liquor laws, you have to get it from our store.
Josellyne Del Rosario
Congratulations on being part of Diner en Blanc. Can you please tell me how you got involved in this? And exactly what do you do as one of the three hosts of the event?
I got involved with this event with my other co-hosts, Monica Castaneda and Elana Leaf. So aside from Diner en Blanc, I’m an event producer and an event F & B consultant as well. So, putting this event together in Los Angeles and having it come back with my co-hosts is something we wanted to bring back because it’s been pretty dormant since before COVID. So, we wanted to bring it back for 2026.
What interested you in joining this event?
It’s just something that we wanted to be a part of. Like I said, bringing it back to Los Angeles after it’s been dormant for a few years. And we just love to produce events. So why not bring something back to LA that we know we can do and give the community something that they want to be a part of?
What makes this event so unique and special?
This event is unique and special in its own way. Diner en Blanc, as it states, is an all-white party bringing community together, sharing it with your friends and the community, and just a real pop-up dinner watching the sunset.
Have you worked in other cities before?
I personally have not. Monica has been the one who has worked in other cities, and she’s done Miami.
Being a Filipino American yourself, what suggestions would you make? Probably like Filipino cuisine next time?
Filipino cuisine is the new thing. Maybe for next year, we might have the next Filipino chef.
Can you please tell me more about yourself and your Filipino roots? Your background?
I’m Filipino American. My parents are both Filipinos. My dad is Kapampangan. My mom is from Manila. My mom’s actually mestiza, so she had a really good upbringing of being immersed in her Filipino culture while growing up, even though she was mestiza. And then same for my dad, my dad, with his multiple siblings living in Pampanga and then moving to Chicago. So, I grew up very Filipino with my Filipino breakfast of rice, eggs and my hot dog that my Lola served me along with my Ovaltine.
You mentioned your father is Kapampangan. He must be a good chef also.
Yes, absolutely. Not just him, but my Titas as well. They’re all really great cooks. So, learning from them, trying to learn from them, has been a challenge because they don’t write anything down. So, when you say, how do I make this? They just, oh, add this, add that. But what is it? What are the ingredients? Oh, I don’t know. I just grabbed this, and I grabbed that. I said, okay, so when I want to make something and when I want to learn how to make something, we have to go through the whole process. We have to go to the grocery store. I have to film them. I can’t ask them what measurements they’re making because they won’t tell me. So, I just have to watch and film.
What are your favorite Filipino dishes?
Oh gosh, my favorite Filipino dish is dinuguan. It is my favorite.
Do you also cook?
I do cook a lot of Filipino food. But it’s not the same as my mom’s or my sister’s, or my Lola’s. But hoping one day, with practice, I’ll get there.
What’s your educational background?
I went to Cal State Fullerton. I went for business. And then from there, I’ve just been in the hospitality industry all my life. My first job was as a hostess at Black Angus. So being a hostess, to a server, and then being able to work at Wolfgang Puck Catering as an assistant, then a culinary operations manager, it just evolved from there. And then just working alongside the best companies that I’ve been able to be a part of, Patina Group. And then at Sequoia Productions, I’ve been able to work and produce some amazing events. I give all the credit to Wolfgang Puck Catering, where I worked for a good solid 17 years before I ventured off on my own.
What are the challenges that you face in hosting the Diner en Blanc?
A great location, finding that perfect location in Los Angeles. So obviously, I can’t disclose the location, but Los Angeles is so big and allows us to get everyone that we want to. This place has been a bit of a challenge because let’s face it, we’re in Los Angeles. It’s not your typical city where you can take the bus freely or take the metro very easily to a location. So, try to find that common ground where they can access it either by bus or metro or even by Uber or Lyft. Ride share it. Or even if they just came and they parked, that’s been the challenge. But we found a great location, and you’ll know about it on August 1st, the day of the event.
Do you give people time to know where?
Yes. So, we have our group leaders. Our group leaders are the ones who really reach out to these people who want to be a part of this event. So, let’s say you sign up, a group leader will be contacting you and giving you details and explaining to you what you need to bring, what the attire is, what the do’s and don’ts are. Are you bringing your own tables? Are you bringing your own chairs? How are you going to decorate your table? Or are you going to be with a group leader who says you can for a higher price ticket, your chairs and your table will already be on site. You just have to set it up and bring some other decor with you. So, our group leaders are really great, and they’ll guide you through this wonderful experience.
What makes Los Angeles a very special setting?
It’s the Mecca of California. When you think of California, you automatically think of Los Angeles. So, where in Los Angeles? Again, I can’t disclose that until August 1st, but Los Angeles has so much to offer with its different cities and landmarks.
Why do you think people should go to this event?
It’s new. It’s different. Come have fun. Have dinner with your friends, meet people in your community. Just break bread with everybody. That is what this event is all about. Getting out and doing something, versus there’s nothing wrong with going to your local restaurant, but going to an event dressed all in white and just meeting new people.
Any tips you want to give to potential guests who want to make the most of the event?
Get creative. Get creative with your tables, with your decor. Obviously, wear comfortable shoes as there will be a little bit of walking. And if you’re bringing everything, make sure that you’ll be able to carry everything. So, for the tablescapes, we’ve got a couple of things in our e-store that can help people out so that they don’t have to carry things such as florals, or some really cool masks. Obviously, we’re selling all the wine for this event. We will announce a winner for the best Tablescape.
