Dinner Parties made easy and simple

BUFFETS and DINNER PARTIES

Dinners can be served family-style, or restaurant style or buffet-style depending on the size of your group, the layout of your home or the formality of your event. 

 

 Family style:  placing bowls of food on the table where you will be eating

 Restaurant style:  host serves the plates in the kitchen and then brings them to the guests seated at the table

 Buffet style:  setting the food out on a separate buffet table of counter and allowing the guests to fill their own plates

 

I generally use family-style for small gatherings and buffet-style for larger groups.  I shy away from restaurant style because I like to give people the opportunity to choose their own food.  I reserve restaurant style for my more formal Washington crowds.  While this seems more elegant, family style seems more like “heavenly” hospitality and sets folks more at ease. It makes them feel like part of the family.   Southerners tend to like the served plate style.  A benefit of this is that the hostess can control the portions.  However, this is labor intensive and takes hostess away from her guests. 

 

BUFFET TABLE SET UPS

 

 

Separate buffet tables can be used for sit-down dinners as a convenient way to serve the food.  When I do this, I usually gather my guests around the buffet table for prayer.  Then I give instructions regarding the buffet table or the buffet stations on my counters. 

 
Text Box: Whether Simple, Intimate, Formal or Seasonal these can be done with ease. THE KEY: Do as much as you can as far ahead as you can so that you can focus on your guests from the moment they arrive. Heavenly hospitality keeps things easy and simple. The book Entertaining for Eternity is full of ideas to set you free to enjoy having people in your home.

“They broke bread in their homes and ate together

with glad and sincere hearts,

praising God and enjoying

the favor of all the people.”

Acts 2:46b-47