Messy
Menus
Dinner
parties are excellent opportunities to spend time with friends and loved ones, get acquainted with new in-laws, impress business
contacts, create a romantic memory with your someone special, or just celebrate a special occasion. Choosing a menu is one of the most
important steps in planning a dinner party. The menu can help set the tone and reflect the theme of the party.
When
choosing a menu you should consider the size and the style of the party. For
example: an elegant, sit-down style dinner party where courses are served one-by-one may be perfect for an intimate gathering
of 6 or less. While a larger, more casual group (10 or more) may be better
served by a family style or even a buffet style service.
Ideally the
foods and menu should fit the party. Some meals that work well for a beach
party or picnic shouldn’t be served at a seated dinner party. One of
the biggest mistakes a host can make is choosing foods that can be difficult to eat while guests are trying to gracefully mingling
or participate in dinner conversations during a less casual party. As
hosts, we should create an environment that allows people to feel comfortable, enjoy themselves, and enjoy sharing the experience
with others. This can be difficult to do while sauce is dripping on their silk
blouse or smeared down their chin. We hope the following tips will help you plan the
menu for your next dinner party.
Our
Top 5 foods to avoid serving at a dinner party:
Whole Lobster in the shell – It’s tempting to try to impress guests with a whole
lobster or even giant prawns in the shell during a small dinner party but there’s just no graceful way for your guests
to dig the meat out.
French Onion Soup – This is a delicious dish
but with a bubbling layer of melted cheese over the top of the soup it can be difficult for guests to eat. Most guests will find it awkward and definitely messy to eat.
-
May we suggest: a Caramelized Onion Soup with Parmesan Crisps and Garlic Crustini on the side instead of the traditional melted layer of cheese.
Long
Noodles – Try to stay away from long noodles like spaghetti, linguini, Lo mien, etc. Although delicious, once again this can be difficult to guests to eat without a mess.
-
May we suggest: Pasta is still a great
choice for a menu but consider short cut pastas like Penne, Bow Tie, Ziti, etc.
You could go even smaller with Orzo or Couscous. Easy to cook, easy to eat, and absolutely scrumptious.
BBQ – This is a great choice for a casual,
laid-back party but probably not the best one for an elegant dinner party.
Guests shouldn’t have to fumble with wet-naps and rib bones while mingling.
May we suggest: If "barbeque" is key
to the theme of your party then we suggest a more easy to handle grilled menu with items like grill beef or chicken tenders
on skewers. Don't over cook - they will be easier to slide of the skewer.
In fact, many grilled items can compliment this theme.
Try
grilling everything from vegetables to firm fruits like pineapples and peaches on a skewers.
Corn on the cob – Corn is a great
addition to many meals. Corn has the sweetest, freshest flavor on the cob unfortunately; this is also the messy way
to eat corn.
- May
we suggest: Roasted corn is delicious but unless you’re having a casual calm bake please consider taking
it off the cob before serving. Simply stand the ear of corn up vertically,
then gently and carefully run your knife down the sides to remove the corn. Serve
with herbs like thyme, sprinkle with a parmesan cheese toppings, a pinch of chili powder, or keep it simple with
just butter, sea salt and pepper.
