Culinary no-no began on Father’s Day 2007, a beautiful summer day, when I wrote about grilling brats. And eating brats. And topping those brats. I was inspired by my wife, Jennifer who, in my admittedly unscientific opinion, ruins brats by squirting ketchup on them. Other dining taboos quickly came to mind. The original idea was to take this concept only a few months, till the end of summer and then pull the plug. Then the unexpected happened. People started reading Culinary no-no. Lots of folks. So we keep doing the no-no.

I wonder what kind of reaction this week’s installment might get.

Many, many years ago, during my courting days, there was this young woman I dated that possessed all the right attributes. Looks. Charm. Sense of humor. Smarts. You know. Your basic joy to be around.

I’m not sure what prompted this to come up one time during conversation but she mentioned how she had this fantasy if you will of going to a fancy restaurant wearing nothing but the following: a fur coat and high heels. Oh, and some makeup and jewelry.

I don’t know if that was a hint, but we never dined together in that manner.

My good friend (I’m her oldest daughter’s godfather) may have to a certain degree been onto something.

Dinners in the nude are now trendy.

The NY Times recently wrote about one such dinner on the Lower East Side where all the guests were au naturel.

The Füde Dinner Experience is hosted by the artist and model Charlie Ann Max. For $88, and after Ms. Max has approved the applications, guests come together to enjoy, according to the website: “a liberating space that celebrates our most pure selves, through plant-based cooking, art, nudity, & self-love.”\

The draw of the naked dinner party is different for different people, Ms. Max said. Some want to feel more connected to their own bodies, while others want to make new, similarly uninhibited friends.

At the dinner earlier in March, guests undressed as soon as they arrived. There was no dressing room, just a clothes rack and hangers off to one side. The main dining hall was warmly lit and draped in sheets of cream and champagne-colored silk. Ms. Max said she makes her events look like Renaissance paintings because “it feels very romantic.”

Each of the attendees (ages ranged from early 20s to late 50s) had approached the challenge of dressing for a naked event differently. Some wore a full party look, while others settled on sweatshirts and jeans. After stripping, guests floated around to different groups, introducing themselves and politely chatting about the weather. Almost all of them showed up alone, which Ms. Max said was typical.

NY Times photo of the Füde Dinner Experience

OK, so you’re nude, with other nude people who happen to be strangers. Plus it’s a vegan meal.

Not my cup of tea.

Even at a nudist resort, Kev? Yes, even at a nudist resort.

Nude dining is a huge no-no…in public 🙂

As for my adventurous friend, no, that thrilling experience never took place. Maybe she was merely joking. Maybe not. Could’ve resulted in a far more interesting blog. But I’ll never know.

Read more in that NY Times article.

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