What You Need To Know To Throw A Flawless Dinner Party
As we all get ready for the summer party season, I am sharing a little wisdom I have gathered over my years as a private chef, serving over 100 clients.
Hiring a great chef, planning the menu and collecting your RSVPs is just the beginning! Here are a few tips on how to make sure your event is as smooth as possible, kitchen to table.
PRIVATE CHEF VS. A CATERER
What do you need and what is the difference? Generally speaking, a private chef will come to your home and prepare most of the meal in your kitchen, giving you a sort of farm-to-table or store-to-table experience. Some chefs focus on a particular cuisine, while others may be versed in several (French, Italian, Classic American, Mexican, Mediterranean, etc.), while others just offer one special party dinner, like the paella chef, above. Most private chefs are very particular about where they source their ingredients, design amazing menus, have exclusive recipes that they have developed and are skilled in food presentation. Obviously, there is a price tag that comes with this expertise and you should expect to pay what you might in a 4-5 star restaurant. The number of courses and menu will affect the per person cost, and for meals for more than 6-8 diners, your chef may want to add a server or kitchen prep staff. If you haven't had a 6-course dinner served to you and your closest friends, prepared by a private chef in your own kitchen, you should really consider this the next time you think about dining out at someplace special. And in the spirit of the Shared Economy, splitting the cost between friends is a good option as well. Sites like Du+ch let you host a dinner party, hire a private chef and invite others to split the costs.
A caterer may be a full-service provider, offering tabletop rentals (sometimes even chairs and tables), bar service, set-up and clean-up and sometimes even event planning. There are also caterers who choose to focus only on food service and are excellent. A caterer may prepare much of the meal in advance and reheat or finish off dishes in your kitchen, or may even have the equipment to keep the food warm on the trip from his/her kitchen to yours. Although it may sound like a private chef is a more expensive way to go (and generally speaking this is true) there are a whole range of caterers, offering dinners from $15/person to $115/person. Some caterers specialize in weddings, quinceañeras, bar mitzvahs and large events, others focus on smaller guest counts. Make sure the caterer you select is a good match for your needs by communicating clearly about your expectations. Service options range from plated meals to attended buffets to self-serve buffets and tasting stations.
SERVICE STYLE
Should you do a sit-down dinner or something more casual? Plated (restaurant-style) or buffet? Does an open kitchen make the chef an entertainer as he/she works (please be sure to let your chef know in advance: some chefs thrive on this and love to share food history and tips, others prefer to focus just on prep and cooking)? A cocktail party or a BBQ? Here are some things you may want to consider as you are making your decisions:
Your Space-- is it limited? Does it allow for a good flow of guests from one area to another? Plated, sit-down dinners can work well if there not a lot of "room to move", even if you don't have a huge dining room or dinner table. Consider moving the furniture out of your living room (into your garage?) and renting a second dinner table for a larger crowd. Having your guests seated and served works well but expect to pay extra and be sure your chef has at least one server for each 8-10 seated guests.
Buffets can be a good option for a more generous floor plan and also works well if you can use a larger, outdoor space (be sure to keep the weather in mind and consider whether you may need to rent outdoor heaters or tents in the event of the possibility of rain). Attended buffets work best (so there is a staff person(s) serving your guests from the behind the buffet table) because it allows for portion control.
Another fun way to use an open floor plan is by asking your chef to design a menu around tasting stations. There are so many creative ways to approach this serving style: by cuisine (so you might have an Asian tasting station, a Mexican tasting station and one that is Classic American), by food category (so one might be Wraps and Rolls and another Dips & Chips/Crostini & Toppings or your can do flavor profiles (Spicy, Sweet, Savory, Curries)... the possibilities are endless. While tasting stations may or may not have a server attending them, they will require that the kitchen staff keeps a careful eye as refills are needed. Be sure, again, to have at least one server for each 10-12 guests or one for each station for larger crowds.
PLANNING THE MENU AND SPECIAL DIETS
First and foremost, your chef is a designer. He or she is skilled in planning menus and selecting flavor profiles that work well together. While your input is invaluable, let your chef be your guide. Be prepared to be specific about your preferences, likes and dislikes and give feedback as the menu is being developed, but please don't try to do this yourself. After call, this is part of the service you are paying for when you hire a private chef. Although it may seem helpful or a great way to save some money to do a dish or two yourself, most chefs will discourage this as their food is their brand and the confusion that can ensue when guests eat dishes prepared by different people can create an awkward situation. Having said this, obviously birthdays call for birthday cakes and wedding call for wedding cakes; unless your chef has a pastry background, he or she will usually be fine with your providing this.
Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan--- there are so many people, especially Foodies, who are careful about how they eat. Be sure your chef knows about requirements and is skilled in preparation of any special diets. And try to gather as much information from your guests as you can. Gluten-free may be a dietary preference, or it may mean your guest has Celiac's, which has much stricter cooking standards. How strict are your vegetarian guests in their dietary regimes? Do they just prefer not to eat meat, or does the chef need to omit all meat products (i.e no chicken broth in the soup)?
Also remember that your chef is not working in a restaurant setting with several Sous Chefs and most likely cannot prepare 3-4 different dinners as a restaurant chef does. Make your requests known up front, in case you chef feels the need to bring in extra staff (if your kitchen is ample enough), and expect to pay additional for complicated menus.
COCKTAIL PARTIES AND APPETIZERS-- HOW MUCH FOOD DO YOU NEED?
When planning food for a cocktail party, how much to serve is determined by the length of your event. Assuming there is no main course or dinner to follow, you should figure 5-7 nibbles per guest for the first couple of hours, then 4-5 nibbles for the next couple of hours and if your event goes longer, just 3 or so bites during the final hours. You may want to switch from savory to sweet bites towards the end of your event.
If you decide to go with “Small Plates“ or Tapas, which are heavier than traditional appetizers, or a combination of both appetizers and small plates, you should count each small plate like you would two appetizers. Your chef should be experienced in portion control and is there to help you with planning, so don’t feel you have to manage all this on your own. Remember, some guests may want to enjoy more than one serving of a particular appetizer….
THE BAR AND GLASSWARE
First, you will need to decide if you want to hire a bartender. It is preferable to have the chef/caterer provide that person, as the team will be used to working together and that makes a huge difference as people are rushing in and out of the kitchen, washing glasses and refilling mixers. A bartender is best if you want to serve mixed alcoholic beverages-- premixed pitchers of Margaritas and Mojitos get watered down as the ice melts and can be messy as well. Pick a signature drink or two or three. Better yet, ask your chef to suggest drinks that work well with the menu he/she has designed.
Some chefs are versed in wine pairings, while others work with a sommelier. Many times, this is something the host can do, and in fact, enjoys. If that is the case, be sure the chef gives you good descriptions of each dish so you have a good understanding of the flavor profiles.
If your event is a sit-down dinner, you will need glasses for the table (water and wine) as well bar glasses and/or wine glasses if you are having a cocktail hour, or champagne glasses if there is a toast. You should figure 2 glasses per guest for the bar. Due to breakage liability, many caterers will not wash your crystal or wine glasses; they will be rinsed with clear water and set aside. If you or your caterer are arranging for rental glasses, these can be returned to most rental companies without any cleaning at all (same for rented china and flatware).
Whether you are handling bar and beverages yourself or you have arranged for your caterer to do this, you may be responsible to provide ice, one bag of ice per each ten guests is recommended (plus additional ice for cooling if you are having beer, soft drinks and/or white wine).
Finally, it is always best to either have water pitchers for the tables or provide bottled water.
KITCHEN AND BBQ
Dishwasher should be empty (and working-- if your dishwasher is NOT working its best to be up front with your chef/caterer as they will need to hire a person to wash dishes by hand). If you have any china that you are planning to use that cannot go into the dishwasher, likewise your chef will need to know and have someone to wash dishes.
All kitchen surfaces should be made available to your chef, so as much as possible, store your small appliances and kitchen decor. For plated dinners, especially for larger crowds (more than 8-10) you may want to make an extra space available for plating. In some cases, this may even mean renting a table.
Make some space available in your refrigerator (more space will be needed if you have extreme perishables on the menu, like seafood).
BBQ grill (if appropriate to the menu) should be clean and ready to use. If yours is not a gas grill, be sure to talk to your caterer about who is responsible to provide charcoal.
Provide large garbage bags, make sure your receptacles are not too full to receive the refuse from your event. Most chefs strongly prefer to have: recycling/compost/garbage. Don't forget to show your caterer where to take full bags of garbage and recycling, your broom closet and where you keep additional garbage bags and cleaning supplies.
DON'T SURPRISE THE CHEF! (GUEST COUNT & OVERTIME CHARGES)
In most cases, the event duration as stated in your contract is based on the average time required to set-up, cook/serve and clean-up for your particular menu, service style and party size, plus your stated expectation of how long your party will last.
Overtime charges may apply when the stated event duration, which should be specified in your Catering Agreement, is exceeded. This is particularly common when guests arrive much later than anticipated and service is delayed. While this doesn't mean you need to impress upon your guests that they arrive on time, it does mean that you communicate clearly with your caterer. After all, you know the crowd!
If there are additional people who need to eat (i.e. your musicians, your babysitter) please advise your caterer in advance and they will gladly increase your guest count. If the actual number of guests at your event exceeds what is stated in your contract, you should expect to be charged for those additional guests (even if no additional food is prepared). If a minimum guest count policy is in effect (this is the usual way things are done), you will be charged for number of guests in your contract even if they do not all show up.
PETS AND GUEST TRAFFIC THROUGH THE KITCHEN
We all love dogs, but not in the kitchen. For the safety of your pets (there's hot stuff goin' on in there) and catering staff, its best if you can keep your best friend elsewhere during your dinner party or catered event.
Although it may seem obvious to you, it may not be to some of your guests, especially if they are friends and family accustomed to making themselves at home in your kitchen; it's not ideal to have guests opening the refrigerator to look for beverages, trying to be helpful by serving themselves seconds, or looking for a snack. Catering staff is there to attend to your guests' every need and are happy to do so. A little extra planning (like having a cooler full of bottled water somewhere where people can easily help themselves) goes a long way towards preventing kitchen accidents.
LEFTOVERS
Have a discussion with your chef. Some caterers (like myself) use organizations like FoodRunners (which sends a volunteer to you to pick up food) to donate leftovers to the homeless. It is usual that some munchies will be set out as your caterer leaves, for late night snacking (these don't qualify as leftovers). It's best to anticipate that there may be some food leftover, even a substantial amount if not all your guests show up, and have a plan before your event begins so you can enjoy your evening without interruption. If your chef is not handling this, its easy enough to do yourself. Check on-line to see who in your city re-distributes leftovers and call the morning after, its a win-win!
PAYMENT
Most caterers and chefs require at least 50% of event total beforehand and some even require that your event is paid 100% up front (usually in 2 payments, one of which is a deposit to hold your date). This amount will typically NOT include gratuity and this is something you may want to discuss up with your service provider. It best for you if the caterer doesn't need to bother you with final payment at the end of the night when you are with your guests and enjoying your 3rd glass of wine!
THE LAST WORD
Be considerate. It is easy to forget, amidst all the greeting and eating, that your chef and kitchen staff have needs, too! A little goes a long way; be sure to make refreshments available, show them where the bathroom they should use is, offer dessert if you are providing it (i.e. a slice of birthday cake), try to find a bar stool or some other seating options to get them off their feet for a few minutes. Remember, cooking and serving is hard work.
Papas Bravas with Chorizo
Bigger than a biteful, these Small Plates in the Spanish culinary traditions are popular and fun for a cocktail hour as guests arrive of in lieu of dinner
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