Destination Dining Adventures All Over the World

Aug. 31, 2013— -- intro: Sometimes a lunch or a dinner is more than just a necessity, it's an unforgettable event. In this roundup, we hat-tip to the restaurants, event planners, theaters and alt-bars that are creating interactive cultural adventures around meal-time. Dining out is certainly "a production" with these folks, and we mean that in the very best way.

quicklist: 1title: Diner en Blanc - Paris and worldwidetext: Originating in France, this popup picnic has been dubbed a "white party for foodies," a chic foodie flash mob and an epicurean phenomenon. Now a quarter-century old, it has become an annual institution in Chicago, New York and other East Coast cities. After drawing more than 1,000 enthusiastic socialites out to Beverly Hills this month -- lugging folding tables and dressed in their finest white evening wear -- Diner en Blanc now heads to San Diego, for perhaps the beachiest soiree in its history.media: 20119235

quicklist: 2title: Chef's Encounter - Tru, Chicagotext: In one of Chicago's most critically acclaimed restaurants, you can't reserve the chef's table or even over-tip the maître d' for it. Chef Anthony Martin chooses who will sit at his table, walking around the dining room and selecting random diners and regulars to visit him for a single course. He comes up with dishes on the spot for them -- and since this is a social-media-savvy restaurant, diners are encouraged to snap smart-phone photos on a specially lit tabletop and share them with "friends."media: 20119709

quicklist: 3title: Reel Chefs - Theater One and Revere Hotel, Bostontext: The "dinner and a movie" classic night out becomes so much more with this series, which has brought everything from "Pulp Fiction" to "The Muppets" into the Revere Hotel's beautiful Theater 1on Boston Common. Special menus match the movie, so this summer's Muppets movie screening ended with the Animal-styled dessert pictured, while the next screening, in October, will be an artistic culinary offering to fit the partnership with Art Week Boston.media: 20119467

quicklist: 4title: Tableside Cheffing – Casimir & Co., New York Citytext: Tableside meat carving and Caesar salad preparation are fairly common, but it's rare to see a stateside restaurant prepare a signature red meat dish tableside, with any spicing and garnish choice a guest might want -- but not a moment on the flames. At authentic French bistros such as Casimir & Co., guests can direct the server in preparing their steak tartare tableside, and then send it off to the kitchen to be seared. But seriously, doesn't that defeat the point? To get the true flavor of the dish, eat it raw, per the recipe and tradition.media: 20119755

quicklist: 5title: Lunch with a Llama – Taos, New Mexicotext: Like most New Mexico towns, Taos is known for its outdoor adventures -- and one specialty tour operator is creating quite a buzz with its buck-toothed, furry trail companions. "Take a Llama to Lunch" day hikes are a runaway hit (pun intended) with family vacationers. It's no wonder kids want to hit the northern New Mexico trails with these goofy-cute creatures: they're gentle (when trained to be) and big enough to carry all the gear.media: 20163311