My Modern Dinner Party

A new era! Pub #21

Is anyone having dinner parties anymore? I mean…a real event, where you invite people to your home, plan an extravagant menu, spend all day cleaning and cooking, get dolled up, you know…the works! There was a time when I was a dinner party addict. I love the planning, prep, and cooking that goes into a special night with amazing company. I’m unsure when I stopped entertaining for more than just my brood. It may have been when I started cooking professionally…I definitely slowed down, but the pandemic put a full stop and I haven’t brought it back.

I’ve been using the fact that my kitchen is under construction, but let’s be real, I’m the queen of pulling off an event without any kind of kitchen in sight. And, I am starting to miss that energy, the serotonin boost I get from sharing my food with people I care about. It’s time to dust off my entertaining skills and invite people in. 

There’s a reason people go into the hospitality industry: a love of food and the need to comfort and care for people. We are party planners at heart, multi-taskers, and creative thinkers who show our story, our art, and our hearts on a plate. This is our love language. So it’s time to bring the show back to life!

Back when I was a dinner party diva, I had specific requirements about what that looked like…labor intensive menus, a perfectly manicured home, a long list of attendees, the perfect playlist, the list goes on, and while I still love all of that, my idea of the ideal dinner party has changed significantly. First off, I like a more intimate group, 6 is my ideal number, but a modern dinner party can be for 1 (making something special for a night alone with your favorite book or movie), or a special evening with your favorite person can all fall under my perfect MDP.

Secondly, the menu; while most of you may not fall into my special kind of crazy when it comes to menu planning, does not need to be extensive in terms of prep. I love a special meal that is centered around a favorite dish of your guest, or sharing a recipe from your childhood or family meal, or as simple as something that you can put on the stove and cook all day while you are tidying up and getting ready. 

While I may not spend all day cleaning and preparing my home these days, that is not the era I am in, it is a good opportunity to tidy, dust, and get out the nice dishes, and glassware. Use the things we save for special occasions, drink the expensive wine, experiment with flavors you are unfamiliar with, play the music that fuels our souls, and tell stories that make us laugh and laugh! What living is all about, the relationships, the stories that bind us and bring us together, and a good meal with friends is the perfect place.

As we have already established…I am a firm believer in breaking all the rules, especially those that are arbitrary…but I am who I am, and will always be somewhere on the control freak spectrum! So, I am breaking my own rules and offering some guidelines for entertaining.

1. If you invite me over to your home I will be honored and so excited to eat the food you prepared for me, however, when you come to my home, I am creating an experience for you to enjoy, and well, as a self-identified control freak, I want to have complete control over your experience. Please do not be offended when I tell you I don’t need you to bring anything, or help with the meal. That’s just not my style and has nothing to do with you. (A host gift is always appreciated)

2. Have pre-planned tasks for guests that offer to help when they arrive…slicing bread, opening wine, filling water glasses, etc. 

3. Please don’t be early, but DON'T BE LATE”. When the food is ready I want everyone sitting down and ready to enjoy…so late arrivals can mess with timing…to help prevent this I build in time for guests to arrive, get settled, and have a cocktail before dinner is served 30-45 minutes is ideal.

4. Have some nibbles available during cocktail time so guests can “wet their palates” (and not get too drunk) before dinner. 

5. Better to think you left too early than to stay too late! The best way to encourage guests to leave before you turn into a pumpkin is to set up that expectation…put an end-time on your invitation. 

I’m going to ease back into the entertaining life, keeping it simple but still special. My first menu might look something like this: