more about: entertaining

I have to admit, I’m a bit baffled by the term dinner party, and how it’s different from just having friends over to dinner. If you asked me if my parents entertained while I was growing up, I would likely say no, but the truth is, we did have people over to the house for dinner on a fairly regular basis. Entertaining was reserved for Oktoberfest in our house, that’s when the fancy dishes came out, and that’s what I would consider a dinner party. 

Now that I’m an adult and can entertain on my own, I’m a little bit murky on what constitutes a dinner party, and what is just a dinner with friends.

Keep reading for my loose definitions, and to share how you distinguish the two.

There’s something that happens a couple times a year in New York City (and other cities around the country) called Restaurant Week, in which a number of restaurants offer special prix-fixe three-course lunch and dinner menus. It’s been going on for years, and when I first moved to the city trying to score a reservation at one of the participating restaurants (many of them are high-end) was a big deal.

These days, Restaurant Week in NYC isn’t nearly as exciting (or as good of a deal) as it used to be. And the good old-fashioned art of eating in—the dinner party—is back in style. In fact, my friend Mark has created a series of dinner parties he holds quarterly he calls Eat In Week—a direct response to Restaurant Week’s urging for everyone to go out and eat.

Even though it’s not quite summer according to the calendar, this weekend it sure felt like it. So in my estimation it is now officially picnic and grilling season. I’m lucky that the apartment I moved into in April has access to a massive roof deck, which we share with our downstairs neighbors.

I’m excited to be able to have people over and have the option of expanding the party outside. But since I’m new at this (I haven’t had outdoor space since college), I’m looking to you all for your best tips for outdoor entertaining.