Entertaining for a Crowd (in a small space)
I love having people over and especially cooking for them. It used to be my thing way back in my 20's. But, life gets in the way. First, I'm just busy, and my friends are busy, and it's hard to make it happen. Second, I live in Brooklyn, and while I have arguably more space than most, it's still a tight fit. This year I decided to minimize the preparation and work of having people over, and make sure I was available to mingle and enjoy everyone. Here's how it all went down.
It starts with...TEQUILA + SOLO CUPS
Sure, I had lots of water, soft drinks, beer, and wine. But I decided I'd have a "signature cocktail" (this sounds way too fancy given that the recipe calls for strawberry soda) for the pre-dinner part of the evening. I thought about pulling out my glassware, but decided the fuss wasn't worth it. I wanted people to be able to go in and out of the house (those that were brave enough to face off with Brooklyn mosquitos needed the fortitude!) So, I did some research, and landed on Strawberry Margarita Punch, which was a hit. I also had fun with my snack ordering, with options like jalapeño-flavored potato chips, Cool Ranch Doritos, etc. My goal was to keep it casual. The drinks and snacks were wholly self-service. Nothing required my attention. And most of all, it allowed for people to mingle and move inside and outside.
Speaking of inside I HIRED A SINGER/PIANIST TO PLAY PRE-DINNER
It is a sad fact that I have a wonderful piano in my house, and really only my kids (sort of) play. It belonged to my husband's grandmother, so it's really special. The piano is tuned regularly--it should be played! Enter this amazing site, GigMasters. Basically I can search for all kinds of talented people to work my party, and can post the event and even have people bid on the gig. It's super easy. I've used them twice now and it makes the evening extra special. If you don't have a piano, no big deal, musicians can bring their own instruments. I highly recommend it. And in a small space like my living room, it made the experience really intimate. Some of us sat and listened to her play. She took requests. People out back could still hear her as she brought a microphone and amplifier.
Dinner was casual. EVERYONE GETS A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
I don't like having plates of food in my lap. I'm too clumsy to make it work. So I try to have enough seats so everyone can squeeze in at the table. Normally I would start days or even weeks in advance on a multi-course meal. This time I decided to make it easier on myself. We served carafes of wine and water at the table. I found this wonderful caterer in New York, called Eat Offbeat. It is a caterer who creates "off-the-beaten path meals that are conceived, prepared and delivered by refugees resettled in NYC." The first 2 courses were catered, and it was perfect for the vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Menu below.
That left the last 2 courses for me to take care of and it was all make ahead and easy. I love a good cheese course, and thanks to the local farmer's market I got some real show stoppers!
A sweet end to a wonderful evening I'll admit we all could barely move by the time cake and coffee was served. But to me, a dinner party isn't a dinner party without a cake. This one I baked myself, and my husband decorated.
I loved having old friends and new in my home. The people were great. The flow was wonderful. And I was sad to see everyone leave. I'm so glad I took a low key approach to the evening. It made the vibe festive and everyone was just lovely. My two "learnings" for next time are: 1) I never seem to have enough time with my guests. Next time I should make a point of moving around the table and circulating. I was sad that I couldn't hang out more. And 2) Next time I should consider trying to plate the courses versus serving family style where it's harder to pass things around. Not sure if I've solved that yet because plating means I impact my goal #1 which is to get more time with the fabulous friends in my home. But small spaces make that part tricky.
I once had dreamed of doing a blog on "entertaining in small spaces" called urban entertaining (even got the url.) So this particular entry, though a departure from my normal work musings, is in line with my personal side. Hope you enjoyed the breakdown, and as always I love hearing from everyone on what you are thinking about and learning in your life!
