Connecticut Magazine

From the December issue of Connecticut Magazine.  You will see us mentioned in the paragraph I bolded:

Holiday Entertaining

by Maria LaPiana

Martha Makes It Look Easy
Yes, of course—she has buckets of money and a staff, for heaven’s sake. And yet, hosting an unforgettable holiday party is something anyone can do, even those of us who may be time- or money-challenged, or both.

The most important thing to remember is that (most) guests are gracious, are thrilled to be invited and don’t come to judge you. The second thing: Plan early and thoroughly. The third: Take advantage of every tip, trick and idea you can get from people who put parties together like it’s their job—because it is—notably, event planners, caterers, chefs and florists.

So . . . you’ve got an idea who you want to invite. Check. You agree you need to plan. Check. But who has the time or inclination to survey a who’s who of party pros? Not you—which is why we did all the heavy lifting.

First Things First
Get out the calendar. If your holiday party will take place, as most do, on a weekend evening sometime during the seasons of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or New Year’s, you need to lock in the date as soon as possible. Caterers are insanely busy at this time, so the sooner you book them, the better. “During the holidays, our calendar fills up months in advance, but we will do our best to work with customers. If they can give us even two weeks’ notice and have an idea what they want, we can help them put on a most excellent party,” says Carrie Cronin, owner of Tallulah’s Catering in Hartford. Because social calendars fill up quickly as well, guests will also appreciate a heads-up so consider sending a “save the date” e-mail.

Crunch Numbers
We hate to bring up the “B” word so early on, but no matter how well-heeled you are, you probably have a budget of some kind—and it helps to ballpark that number, so when you go gaga over the orchid centerpieces your florist wants to fly in, things don’t get out of hand. “We completely get it that many people don’t have the means to give big, elaborate parties,” says Cronin. “What we try to stress is that you don’t have to have everything on the menu, or a full bar. Have your party—just cut back on the glitz.”

Settle on the Type of Soirée You Want to Have
Will it be an intimate dinner party for six, or a casual “payback” party with buffet and brews to which you’ll invite everyone who’s had you over in the last year—plus neighbors, who might be miffed once they see cars parked on the lawn?

“For me, the best thing is simplicity,” says Kristie Bishop of KB Events, based in Woodbury. “Get a fire going, start great conversation . . . let your party flow and don’t worry about adding too much to it. If you’re comfortable and the house is comfortable, the party will be great. Stay on the less chaotic side, because it’s such a chaotic time of year.”

Determine whether your party will have a theme. There’s something to be said for children’s birthday parties, where a “story line” often drives the look and feel of a gathering—from invites to favors. But themes aren’t just for kids. “I really like working with a theme,” says Lori Hoagland of Dish in Sandy Hook, who often caters parties in private homes. “It helps you build the menu, figure out how the place should look, even how your guests should dress. I like everything to coordinate.”

A few years ago, Newtown couple Ria and Pat Barreto hit on the idea of a Mexican fiesta as the theme for their holiday affair. “I’m of Mexican descent, and we have a great margarita recipe, so the idea was really a no-brainer,” says Pat. Once they settled on the theme, he says, the planning was even more enjoyable, as they pored over possible menus and found Mexican cut-paper decorations online. Ria made the invitations herself, they lined the driveway with luminaria and draped strings of chili lights over the windows. They cooked some dishes, catered some, ordered tamales from Texas, and asked some reliable friends (good cooks all) to bring appetizers, sides and desserts. A good friend volunteered to work the blender, so tasty margaritas flowed all night. Remembers Pat: “Everything came together well and to this day people tell us what a good time they had. The best part is that we did, too!”

The Pleasure of Your Company
Who doesn’t love to receive a party invitation? But what kind is best for your affair? Will it be custom, handmade or store-bought? You might be surprised to learn that having custom-quality invitations printed is not unreasonably expensive today, thanks to modern printing methods, including thermography, a technique similar to engraving that costs half as much. “From fill-in cards to the kind you print on your computer at home, the selection today is really amazing,” says Dawn Handworker, a stationer who owns Truly Yours LLC in Bethel. She offers a wide array of papers and styles at price points from 75 cents each (for fill-ins) to $10 or more for elaborate engraved invitations. Why choose snail mail over e-vites? “It’s always special and more exciting when an invitation comes in the mail,” she says.

Location, Location, Location
Survey your space (we’re going on the premise here that your gala will be held at home). “The first thing I tell clients is to get the guest list together, because you need a good idea of numbers to determine how your home is going to work,” says event planner Bishop. “Will you need to borrow chairs, or will it be standing room only?” However spacious (or not) your home is, she advises you to consider setting up a beverage station that makes it easy for guests to get drinks themselves. “It relieves you of bar duty,” she says. If your affair is more elaborate, rest assured that all manner of equipment can be rented—from glassware and chafing dishes to chairs, dance floors and even portable bars.

Glorious Food
Will all the food at your gathering be catered, all prepared by you, a combination, or will you be asking friends to pitch in? Cost will certainly enter into this decision, but it’s important to consider time, stress and your level of expertise in the kitchen—plus how much you want to mingle.

A full-service caterer handles it all—from writing the menu to wiping down your counters after the last guest leaves. Some will allow you to mix and match catered dishes with your signature dip or homemade lasagna. Many won’t, for insurance reasons (if someone gets sick, there may be no way to find out for sure if the culprit was your tandoori chicken or the caterer’s chilled shrimp).

“The first thing I ask a client is what the kitchen facility is like,” says Ivy Mellow, coordinator of off-site catering for River House in East Haddam. “It’s always nice to showcase some cooking in the kitchen, but you can’t do a hot dinner for 60 if you have only one oven! We like to do stations—people enjoy the variety—but now we’re adding something to the traditional offerings. You can still have a potato station, for example, but add lobster and it’s special.”

Hoagland loves to cater interactive parties, where guests are invited to participate. “There are clients who want everything served, and we can certainly do that,” she says, “but I like to cater the way I entertain. I like to give people something to do. We might have them choose from different sauces for a pasta dish, or I might say: ‘There are the clams, and there’s the clam knife!’”

Menu selection should depend, at least in part, on the age of the crowd, says Jeff Rapoport of Jordan Caterers in Cheshire and Darien. “Younger guests tend to look for farm-to-table food, menus that are fresher and cleaner—sustainability,” he says.

“Many of them have grown tired of grilled veggies and crudités and are looking for more interesting vegetarian dishes.” A well-rounded menu is important. “Always offer meat, fish and vegetarian options,” says Rapoport, plus “at least a few bites of hors d’oeuvres. And then sweets for an hour or so before you plan on your guests leaving.” Comfort food is in. “Guests often like very simple things, like short ribs that have been braised in sake or beer,” he adds.

Your food should look like it belongs, says Rick Kerzner, owner/chef of Emily’s Catering Group in Bristol. “I like tying in the decor with the food,” he says. “Choose softer linens in a darker color, with shimmery, silvery white serving pieces. Food should be seasonal. We like cranberries and beef wrapped in phyllo, shepherd’s pie on a tasting spoon, something comforting like grilled cheese with tomato soup in a demitasse cup. In the last couple of years we’ve seen people really take the pretense out of holiday parties. We even rolled out winter barbecues last year—it’s casual. summer food in winter, and not what guests expect.”

“A menu can be impressive without going over the top,” says Cronin of Tallulah’s. Think visuals. “Great visual presentation adds to the excitement of the actual food. You can take a basic pasta dish, but serve it in something special,” she says. And if you think dinner has to feature beef tenderloin and lobster, think again. “We do risotto stations, and comfort-food stations featuring homemade macaroni and cheese with truffles, beef stew.”

Drinks of one kind or another are a given. In fact, the secret to an unforgettable holiday party is no secret at all, according to Hoagland. It’s simple: “Serve cranberry mojitos!” What else is new in cocktails? “Ginger liqueur seems to be all the rage these days,” she says, so “think ginger martinis.” While most people expect alcohol to be served, you may prefer not to—or you may want to offer up some seasonal nonalcoholic beverages like mulled cider or hot cocoa.

Flowers and Decor
Charles Case has owned The Flower Basket of Westport for 30 years (he did the flowers for Martha’s budding catering business back in the day), so he knows that when it comes to holiday decorating, less is definitely more. “But it has to be the right less,” he says. “Often people will overdo it on the exterior and go crazy with lights. They can detract from the house, which may be an architectural gem on its own. Flood the outside gently, then spotlight the door with a dead-on wreath that really works.”

Once inside, Case recommends you appeal to all the senses. Fragrance is important, he says, “whether it’s something baking in the oven or pots of interesting herbs simmering on the stove.” When choosing flowers, he suggests you get out the china, silver and serving dishes you’ll be using, and try to pick flowers that will complement or “really punch them up.”

Because so many of us have already “decked the halls” at this time of year, decorating for a holiday party is often an afterthought (a few well-placed poinsettias and we’re done). Not a good idea, says Karin Lidbeck-Brent of Bethlehem, a photo stylist who makes homes look beautiful in magazines.

“For starters, it’s better to edit your decorations and not use everything you have,” she says. “Choose a color like silver or red or a pattern like plaid, and stay focused. Use only what works with that theme. Simple is beautiful, and you can create more by working with less.”

It’s true that you don’t want your home to look the way it always does, so add a few special touches for the party. Boughs of greenery work wonders. “The container is everything. Be creative. Think about large vases, galvanized or antique buckets, even garden urns brought inside,” says Lidbeck-Brent. “Fill them with tall cut boughs of greenery, cuttings of holly. And large boughs of blue spruce are striking when grouped together.”

A few more of her tried-and-true floral ideas: Hang plain green wreaths, beautifully unadorned, by simple ribbons; group a mass of one kind of flower for maximum impact (add a few sprigs of greenery to a big bunch of red tulips and it shouts holiday); trim the blooms off several poinsettia plants and place them in a festive bowl filled with water (your guests will look at the arrangement as if they’ve never seen poinsettias before).

Mood and Music
There’s nothing like live music to make a good party even better. So why not consider booking a band for your party—depending on your musical tastes, the size of your home and your pocketbook (there’s that “B” word again). If you’ve heard the musicians you’re considering, great. If not, try to catch a gig before booking; demo tapes don’t always mirror reality, especially if volume is a concern. A deejay is another way to go and a fun option, especially if he or she has the right personality. Sirius radio is a much less expensive choice since you’re paying for it anyway. Finally, if you want total control over your playlist, get out your iPod.

Details, Details
Plans have been made, food and flowers are ordered, invitations are out and the RSVPs have started rolling in, so you may think you have a little breathing room. But unless you have a staff that handles all the details of your life, there is still a lot to consider—from housecleaning (before and after) to parking to the capacity of your powder room.

If you have someone who comes in to clean, skip to the next paragraph. If not, consider the fact that most housecleaning businesses are more than happy to come in both before and after your party—even if you don’t have a contract with them.
If there isn’t room enough on and around your property to park all the cars you anticipate, offer guests a few options. It can be frustrating for guests in full party mode  to see the lights on in the house, hear the music—and have to circle the block again and again, widening the loop until they find a spot. Invite them to park on the grass if you really don’t mind (it may be covered with snow anyway) or hire a few reliable teens to provide valet parking.

If you’re expecting a very large turnout, ask yourself if the powder room can accommodate everyone. If not, do you mind guests traipsing upstairs to use a second or third bathroom? If you don’t mind, but your septic system does, it may make sense to rent a portable toilet for the evening. A standard model costs $150 for a night, according to Anthony DiMartino at A Royal Flush in Bridgeport. The VIP model features a flushing toilet with sink and costs $300. But a portable toilet being just that, DiMartino allows that some people just don’t like to use them. In that case, for $950 you can get a trailer that houses a toilet; it’s heated, has vanity mirrors, running water—and room to turn around.

Finally, remember that the most gracious (and responsible) host monitors his or her guests’ alcohol consumption, and keeps overimbibers from getting back behind the wheel late at night or early in the morning. Ask any designated drivers if they wouldn’t mind another passenger or two; recruit your valet-parking staff to provide rides home; or give your local taxi or car service a heads-up, and call them yourself if necessary. You want your party to be memorable—for all the right reasons.

Call us today (877) 234-6545 to place your holiday orders!!!!