That’s Entertaining!

’Tis the season to play host to your closest friends and family, especially if you and your mister are planning to throw a housewarming party in your new digs or are rounding up family and friends to officially announce your engagement. The great thing about hosting a party is that it’s a more intimate option than going out, and it’s easy to make budget-friendly.

From doing it yourself to hiring a chef, Sebastien Centner, Director of Eatertainment Special Events (eatertainment.com), shares his expert tips for creating an unforgettable affair. 

Tasty Trends

According to Centner one of the biggest trends he’s seen this past year in the catering realm is clients looking to support local suppliers. Not only is this great for your community, but it can also be cost-effective. Shipping costs on food do add up!

Mini-meals are also another emerging concept to hit the entertaining scene. This is basically a hybrid between canapés and plated dinners. For example, you may have trays of salads come out in square bowls with forks already in them, explains Centner. Ideally three or four mini-meals would be served, all “forkable” (i.e. can be eaten with a fork). While it is a stand-up event, it’s more substantial than a typical cocktail party. Although you’re serving about the same amount of food you would at a sit-down dinner, it’s a more casual, yet memorable way to feed your guests.

Take Home Chef

Hiring a chef is like hiring a caterer, says Centner. The difference is if you want to have a private dining experience your best bet is to hire a top-tier chef. “I’m a big believer in entertaining often and entertaining well. If you don’t want to do either then don’t entertain,” says Centner.

Since there are so many private chefs out there, you need to find someone who shares the same appreciation as you do. For example one chef’s interpretation of beef tenderloin may be very different than the next. It’s best to try him or her out with a smaller event. Also be conscious of the time of year you want to hire your chef. A top-tier chef will likely not be able to cook for a private at-home party if he or she is cooking for a large event. 

Call a Caterer

There are three markets of caterers. The first is your very basic—like party sandwiches—while the other extreme is Jamie Kennedy, where you can’t get breakfast for under $50/person. Most caterers fall in between, including Eatertainment. Almost any budget can be accommodated, you just have to work together, explains Centner. While you can hire caterers to do it all—from serving to cleaning up—you can choose to select the services most appropriate to your budget. Leaving the food to the experts can be a budget-conscious exercise. Plus, it will give you more time with your guests and less in the kitchen.

DIY

Maybe you and your hubby love to cook or would prefer to keep your costs down. Whatever the case, doing it yourself can still amount to fabulous results. Just keep in mind the point of the affair really is to spend time with your guests, so consider hiring a server or two to help with the flow of the event or even renting dishes to make the cleanup easier, suggests Centner.