There is nothing better than a well-planned dinner party. A great host can be able to bridge several different groups of friends together to create a truly one of a kind experience in which the food, the drinks and the conversation blend into an amazing evening. What many would-be dinner party planners forget is that hospitality, like many things, is an art. For those of us pushing thirty our college days of buying a load of booze, several different kinds of chips, turning up the radio to ten and hoping that the party rocks are long behind us. To create a truly memorable party experience you have to do a little bit of homework and a lot of planning. Below you will find several tips to elevate your next chip and dip party to something a little classier.
Focus On Your Atmospheric Control
According to scientist the first mechanism that triggers appetite is our eyes. Think about coming home from a long day of work, you sit down in front of the television and a commercial for the latest juiciest burger creation comes on the screen. You see the plump burger patty dripping with ketchup, topped with crisp lettuce and savory pickles all squeezed into two pillowy sesame buns. Before you know it you are heading out to the nearest drive through to satisfy your hunger. Humans eat with their eyes long before they ever take a bite. You want to create an atmosphere in which the anticipation of the actual dinner is constantly being heightened. This can be accomplished with small canapes, or appetite inducing cocktails. Think back to Thanksgiving, one of the most saliva inducing moments of the day is when everyone smells the turkey coming out of the oven. Take this as cue when planning the big reveal for your entree.
Renting Specialty Linen Can Add a Touch of Class
When creating a total dinner party experience, it is important to keep in mind that much of the appeal is in the actual environment. Why do people spend hundreds of dollars to dine at top restaurants? Yes, some of it has to do with the gourmet food, but much of it has to do with the overall dining experience including the attention to detail in the decor. For your dinner party it will do you good to spend as much time focused on the preparation of the space as the preparation of the meal. Dinner parties are an excuse to bust out the fancy trappings, such as fine china and specialty linens. Renting specialty linens can also save you a little bit of hassle in terms of cleaning up, tablecloth and chair cover rentals mean you won?t have to launder the rental linens yourself. Apart from renting specialty linen you might also consider your lighting and your musical playlist. Soft lighting is good for creating intimacy and once your party starts dinning makes sure to play slower and quiet music to facilitate a calmer discussion laden environment.
The Menu has to Be Solid
This might seem like a no-brainer, but many a would be dinner party host has failed at this. In order for your dinner party to be successful, your menu has to be really solid. As a reminder, it is not cheating to practice your recipes a couple of times to make sure that they turn out right. Especially if you are planning a multi-course meal, make sure to get the timing of your dishes just right so that you can continue to pique interest and build appetite. Almost as important as the food is the drink pairings. If you are having a dry dinner party than a little bit of pressure is off your shoulders, you can just stick with fizzy drinks, juice, coffee or tea. If you have an adult beverage kind of crowd it is important to have complimentary cocktails. While there are a million resources for wine pairings, the general rule is white wines for chicken and fish and red wines for red meat or heartier meals.
To sum it up, create an inviting atmosphere,consider renting specialty linens and fine China, focus on recipes and drink pairings–add some goods friends and enjoy.