Dinner Party

Philly6*6*09

In Megs post below (re: weekend plans), she mentions having people over for a dinner party.  I also recall a few others having dinner parties - your names are escaping me right now (sorry Megs, not trying to single you out).

Please explain what you do at a dinner party? 

I would feel awkward inviting my friends over for dinner (maybe b/c I'm the only married gal out of the group?) 

Isn't it easier just to go out to dinner?

I feel like a BBQ is a little different, more casual, outside, whatever - but a dinner party - how formal is it?

 

(Please excuse my ignorance on this, I've never been, or never heard of having a dinner party).

mamie329

I had a dinner party two weeks ago. 

Haven't you seen them in tv or movies? You have friends over for dinner. You can make it as fancy as you want - mine, not so fancy. You can even theme them out if you want. It's a cheaper (usually) alternative to going out, plus for people like megs and me, it's a nice opportunity to invite people to see your new house. 

Philly6*6*09

mamie329:

I had a dinner party two weeks ago. 

Haven't you seen them in tv or movies? You have friends over for dinner. You can make it as fancy as you want - mine, not so fancy. You can even theme them out if you want. It's a cheaper (usually) alternative to going out, plus for people like megs and me, it's a nice opportunity to invite people to see your new house. 

Lol, yes I've seen it on movies - But I didn't know people did that in real life! 

mamie329

Ha, my parents never entertained like that so I was never around it growing up, but I like to playact at being mature and fancy, and throwing little soirees is a great way to pretend.  We NEVER entertained at our previous apartments because all we had in terms of seating was 3 chairs and a crappy MDF wood table in the kitchen. At the J9 GTG, we sat on my living room floor eating dinner!

 Now that we have a formal-ish dining room, I hope to do more dinner parties. 

hawkilady

Well since we don't have a real dining room in our house (just a small table for 4) we dont have fancy dinner parties.  I do them a lot in the summer when we can eat on the patio... its usually 3-4 couples (almost all of our friends are either married or in serious relationships).  We like to do them and take turns hosting so its not always one person paying for the meal.

Leigha12

We can only seat 4 comfortably, 6 maybe, so we don't have large dinner parties, but we do like to invite other couples over for dinner. Some are informal where we all just hang out, they even help in the kitchen or bring some food, too, and then we usually play games after. Some are slightly more formal where I prep all the food myself and have it nearly ready to go when they walk in the door. We usually play games after those, too. I guess you could say I use dinner parties as an excuse for game night! It's the only way to trick DH into it.

hyr.

mamie329:

At the J9 GTG, we sat on my living room floor eating dinner!

memmmmoriesssssss ::sniff sniff::

just dandy.

What? This is the strangest question. Have you never had friends over to your house before? Where you sit around and talk, maybe drink? It's the same thing, but there's food in front of you. And you eat it. 

 I can see how this might not appeal to you if you live in a dump or hate to cook, but it's pretty self explanatory!

 

By the way, to all of you who do have dinner parties - I'm obsessed with this idea.  A rotating theme dinner club with centerpieces and stationery.  Too bad my friends aren't as cool... I mean nerdy... as I am.

 

http://sunday-suppers.blogspot.com/ 

just dandy.

Although I have to say, if we have people over for dinner I never call it a "dinner party". I just call it friends coming over for dinner.  "Dinner party" sounds too frou frou for me.

Philly6*6*09

just dandy.:

What? This is the strangest question. Have you never had friends over to your house before? Where you sit around and talk, maybe drink? It's the same thing, but there's food in front of you. And you eat it. 

Nope!  My friends and I don't eat dinner at each other's houses.  We generally go out to eat, at various restaurants. 

just dandy.

No I got that you've never been to a friend's house for dinner from your question, but I can't believe you've never just been to another person's house and hung out there. Is going to people's houses... a southern thing? Mind = blown.

Leigha12

Chances are if one person starts it, others will reciprocate.

sarajoy12345

We LOVE having people over for dinner, and entertain frequently.

Sometimes we are more casual, and sometimes I use our good dishes/crystal. I usually cook the whole meal vs. potluck, but I don't send formal invitations though.

We are also trying to start a rotating supper club/bridge night but we haven't gotten it started yet.

What do we do? Eat, drink, talk. Sometimes we will play Wii or a board game, but that is not a central focus.

sarajoy12345

just dandy.:

Is going to people's houses... a southern thing? Mind = blown.

We do it ALL. THE. TIME. in Chicago. No clue.

megs1383

Well we've never really done it before either, so maybe I will have more to share after tonight!

The term "dinner party" sounds so fancy, but really our get together will be very informal, and we are just grilling using a Bobby Flay chicken recipe that we like, so the meal wont be especially fancy at all, just a little more interesting and complex than your average hamburgers and hotdogs.

I think we will probably hang around after dinner, have a few beers. DH is a bit of a beer snob, so sometimes we will have beer sampling nights, but it really depends on the people coming over. Our friends that are coming over tonight are big into having game nights, so I'm guessing they'll bring something or we'll just watch a movie on demand.

I really wanted to get one of those portable fire pits for our backyard so we could hang out back there since the weather is so nice, but I am still working to convince K, he didn't seem too into it. 

hawkilady

In my mind the difference between a dinner party and friends just coming over is who supplies the food/cooks.  When friends just come over - usually people will bring some beer, a dessert, etc.  When I have a dinner party, we supply everything - even when people ask what to bring, I tell them nothing because I've got a whole menu planned out.  Maybe thats my control freak nature coming through though - I wouldn't want the food to not go together.

Dandy -- I would gladly join your dinner club.  Ours is too laid back, I wish there were more theme dinners, invitations, etc. but I feel like I need a dining room to get that sort of class added to my parties.

megs1383

just dandy.:

By the way, to all of you who do have dinner parties - I'm obsessed with this idea.  A rotating theme dinner club with centerpieces and stationery.  Too bad my friends aren't as cool... I mean nerdy... as I am.

 

http://sunday-suppers.blogspot.com/ 

I've always wanted to do this too! I've always wanted to throw a theme-based party and go all out Martha Stewart style with coordinating napkins, centerpieces and food items. But unfortunately my get-together tonight is nothing like this. Makes me wish all of you ladies lived closer!