5 Secrets to Simply Entertaining this Season
Secrets to Simply Entertaining this Season
This blog post is in collaboration with Le Grand Courtâge. All opinions are my own.
You may be fooling yourself if you’re not worried about your ability to be at ease with fine dining [virtually] this season or hosting a [virtual] business or social dinner. What a year it has been! We have been forced to slow down, look inward, and savor the little things in life which have turned out to be the best things! As we close out the year, we want to relish in the good times, the simple pleasures, and the joy we have found in some of the darkest moments of this year. If there’s one thing we’ll be doing this holiday season, it is guzzling the sparkling bubbly we get our hands-on.
While it may be jungle outside, animal house manners won’t go far for the wow-worthy [virtual] event you are about to pull with these five simplified secrets to elevated entertaining this season.
Prepare the evening in advance
Begin by frequenting a few upscale restaurants that offer carry-out or delivery. The restaurants you select to visit should reflect the theme and tone you are striving to set for the evening. Familiarize yourself with the menus. If there’s enough time, develop a rapport with the restaurant host/maître d’ and have them recognize you by name, at the least. It’s going to be your responsibility to take charge of every detail, including extending the invitation, ordering the food, paying the bill, and possibly paying the valet.
Once you have selected the restaurant, you may want to narrow down the menu to four or five selected entrees to help you stay within your budget. At least one week before the dinner, extend the invitation to your guests and include the menu (you may be able to download it from the restaurant website or include a direct link to it in your invitation). Get familiar with the menu if your [virtual] guests have questions or ask you for recommendations.
Determine if you will place your orders on behalf of your guests, or if they will place them themselves, and how the meals will be picked up & delivered.
Minis provide the quintessential serving of pop & fizz
Minis are a perfect way to gift a glass or two of sparkling bubbly to be paired with a meal. It is also a great way to reduce the spreading of germs, which happens when a bottle is handled multiple times.
Set the scene and orchestrate the night
As the host, you determine how the evening will go. Should you opt to pick up food from the restaurant and personally drop it off to your guests, include a serving of a home-baked dessert and a mini bottle of some sparkling bubbly. Rose is an elevated touch to the meal. Le Grand Courtâge and Très Chic are both food-friendly sparkling wine options that pair nicely with everything from dinner to dessert.
Have everything prepared and ready before your first guest(s) arrive. If your guests arrive late [virtually], welcome them to the table and state that you all are just getting settled in and acquainted with one another.
A dessert pairing provides for an elevated nightcap
The art of entertaining and engaging friends & family over a cake baked with love sweetens the soul.
This white chocolate cake pairs beautifully with a glass of rosé.
Pleasure, and enjoy
Once everyone has joined the [virtual] table (or hangout), try to avoid using your phone. It may come across as rude to your guests and other diners for you to be on the phone while sitting at the [virtual] dining table. Use the first 30 minutes for small talk (unless this is more business than the first 10 minutes). By doing this, you allow your guests to relax and establish rapport with one another.
Icebreakers, interactive games such as murder mystery, bingo cards, and virtual card tables are great ways to keep the evening entertaining.
Serve a signature cocktail or provide the necessary ingredients for your guests to make one
An English Rosé with a seasonal twist is both festive and cuisine-cocktail-friendly.
What you’ll need:
Lemon juice
2 measures of gin
2 measures sweet vermouth
1 measure white bourbon
Cranberries
Top with rosé
*measure equals 1.5 oz
*Sugared cranberries from the above-mentioned White Chocolate Cake make for a festive libation this time of year.
Pay the bill with grace
You are hosting, so refrain from fussing over the check. Remember gratuity may be required, depending on your guest count or the number of meals ordered. Arrange payment for the meals and pick up/delivery, if applicable, when orders are placed at the restaurant.
Back to the basics
Good food. Good drink. Great people.
There has been plenty of struggle and pain this year, yet we have found strength and resilience within ourselves. Make it a night to remember!
To get you ready for the holiday season, you can use VEE15 for 15% off your Le Grand Courtâge purchase now through the end of the year, December 31, 2020.
