Top Tips For Dining With Friends

Every dinner party menu starts with a great anchor dish — that recipe you just can’t wait to try, and the one you would be excited to build the rest of a meal around. It doesn’t matter if this dish is a delightful appetizer to serve with drinks, a simple but cozy main, or a show stopping dessert. Once your anchor dish is in place, it’s easier to build and balance the rest of the menu.

Maybe, for instance, your mouth is watering at the idea of a Fall Harvest Pan Pizza. You could choose to slice the pizza into squares and serve it as a small bite with drinks while a delicious soup bubbles away on the stovetop, or to serve it as the main course alongside a platter of roasted vegetables and a crisp, seasonal salad. Does the idea of Semolina Pumpkin Cake with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream make you hungry? Then start thinking backwards: what would be an ideal meal to serve before this dessert hits the table?

When it comes to menu planning, the anchor dish gives you permission to start with what you want to cook. Those dog-eared recipes from cookbooks or the ones bookmarked on your computer are a nice place to start, because they’ll make you happy to get into the kitchen. From there, check on any allergies or dietary restrictions, and whenever possible choose dishes that everyone can participate in. Love the idea of Spicy Chili-Butter Roasted Delicata Squash but have a friend with a dairy allergy? Use olive oil instead of butter. Have three meat eaters and two vegetarians on the guest list? Serve everything family-style, with equal emphasis on the vegetable-forward dishes so nobody feels like the odd one out.

Now that you have your menu planned, write it down somewhere so you have it on hand for reference. Then be prepared to be flexible! Maybe you planned on making braised short ribs and creamy polenta, but short ribs are nowhere to be found — no worries, there are plenty of other cuts that love to be cooked low and slow until meltingly tender. Planned on making a Ginger-Pear Granita with Honey Whipped Cream for dessert, but pears aren’t in season yet? A Ginger-Peach Granita with Honey Whipped Cream sounds absolutely delicious, as does chocolate pudding served in small bowls with that Honey Whipped Cream on top. The more flexible you are, the more you will enjoy the dinner party process from start to finish. 

A great table setting is just as important to the mood of a dinner party as the menu. It doesn’t have to be precious or super fancy, though it should reflect a sense of you in the details. Even a casual dinner party with friends deserves cloth napkins, a few lit candles, and your favorite glassware.

The easiest way to elevate a table setting is with quality silverware, including knives that cut properly without pulling or tearing. Steak knives, such as the WÜSTHOF Gourmet 4-Piece Steak Knife Set, are perfect for any dish, from Caesar salad to roasted kabocha squash to peppercorn-crusted ribeye. WÜSTHOF steak knives are as beautiful as they are functional, and it’s small details like these that make the evening feel extra special.

Finally, take a deep breath, stay present, and enjoy the company of your friends. At the end of the day, they are here to see you — being fed is a bonus! The best part about a dinner party is the chance to gather everyone in one space and let the conversation flow. So, if the focaccia didn’t rise, the dip wasn’t as good as you wanted it to be, or the soup needed a little extra something, it’s perfectly okay! More often than not, nobody is the wiser. And if the host is having a great time, everyone will follow suit.