Culinary theater in its purest form engages all the senses. But what happens when one of the senses—namely one’s vision—is lopped off the list?
Dark Dining is a new craze that has crossed the pond from Europe to New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and elsewhere. Promoters say it’s the ultimate journey for the emotions, and it uses the flavors and textures of food as a platform for the entire experience.
According to Ben Uphues, owner and founder of Hermosa Beach, Calif.’s Opaque, a company that stages such occasions at Hyatt West Hollywood and elsewhere, Dark Dining heightens guests’ emotional engagement.
“When people are set in complete darkness for a couple of hours,” he says, “they experience a world of sensitivity they’ve never experienced before. It’s a world that is happening within themselves. The entertainment value is in the guests’ reactions, especially when we play a game that involves touching objects on the table.”
In New York, Dana Salisbury, creator and director of Dark Dining Projects, says she heightens the entertainment value of her events with musicians, singers and dancers.
“We include the performances between courses,” Salisbury says. “There is scent in the art. We tap into all the senses except the visual, and people become amazingly responsive.”
Dark Dining works for business groups, Salisbury says, because it’s a great bonding and team-building tool. It gets the creative juices flowing. Uphues says the concept breaks down inhibitions and promotes responses that are mostly joyful. When people dine in the dark, their minds expand.
The logistics? Some use blindfolds, some do not.
Visually impaired, specially trained servers escort guests and serve the food. Salisbury says she conducts an orientation with guests and makes sure someone is at each guest’s side, especially as they enter the dining space or visit the restroom.
Thankfully, blindfolds may be removed during bathroom visits, but must be replaced when a guest is ready to return to the dining space.
