How to host an impressive dinner party

Happy Spring, friends! Even though it’s freezing here in NY, I decorated my apartment in fresh greens and florals which instantly gave the illusion of warmer weather. Trader Joe’s is my go-to for greens and they finally have Eucalyptus in season which I’ve been waiting all year for.

I’m really excited to share my dinner party that I hosted over the weekend with my friend, her husband and their GORGEOUS twin girls – seriously stalk her page @new2thismomish. Intimate get togethers are much favored on my weekend agenda, and I’d prefer to be cozy and catch up over a delicious meal instead of going out. If you’re one of those people that are intimidated by planning- FEAR NOT. I put together some tricks and tips on how to plan an impressive dinner party without the stress factor.

MICHELIN-STARRED MENU AT HOME? YES PLEASE.

Since they don’t get the opportunity to go out to nice restaurants much these days, I brought the elevated dining experience home to the kitchen table. I created these DIY prix fixe menus which raised the bar a couple of notches and they were super easy to make.

I went to Michael’s and bought opaque craft paper and simply slipped it into my printer and voila!

MINIMALIST TABLESCAPE

Scandi style has a way of pulling off that “low-effort” and “not trying too hard” but still looking incredibly gorgeous vibe. The trick is less-is-more, besides when it comes to greens. There is no ceiling on how many florals you can add. We love plants!!!!!

TABLE SETTING

Gold flatware is a very worthwhile investment and is a bold statement alone. I got my set from West Elm and I always get so many compliments on it.

These DIY speckled dinner napkins came out so cute and I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of the process. I basically just took regular off-white dinner napkins from Home Goods and flicked black fabric paint on to them to give it that speckled look. DISCLAIMER: it can get messy, so put down a big sheet and wear a latex glove or else your hands will be covered in paint. Maybe I’ll do a tutorial on this in another post.

THE FEAST

The trick is to save time and not slave in the kitchen while you are hosting your dinner party. For appetizers, I served a simple board with aged gouda and grapes alongside olives in small bowls for easy picking. You don’t want to go overboard with the apps because it takes the spotlight away from the main course.

For dinner I served a shaved Brussels sprouts salad with dijon viniagerette – which was amazing. Pasquale HATES Brussels sprouts but he gobbled up his entire bowl and loved it. The next dish I made was ravioli in truffle cream sauce followed by the main which was to die for. I made braised short ribs in red wine reduction over creamy polenta. Sounds intimidating? It so wasn’t.

I’m going to share all of the recipes in my next post, and you definitely want to stay tuned for this. The trick is using a dutch oven, which was so easy and added such incredible flavor.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope I was able to give you some inspo for the next time you find yourself hosting a dinner party!

xx Victoria