It’s that time of the year again! The sun is officially shining, flowers are in full bloom and people are celebrating the beautiful weather. In addition to celebrating the weather, many families and friends are coming together, to recognize all the graduates and their academic accomplishments. What does that mean? It means it’s party season near and far! And although parties are fun, as we all know, with the amount of planning involved, the time leading up to the party may cause a couple headaches.
Any party-thrower realizes that any good party must have great food and the perfect party spread may be hard to accomplish amidst entertaining however many guests.
Here’s what we suggest at Jim Alesci’s to achieve the perfect party spread- and it consists of three easy steps: appetizers, the main course, and dessert.
It’s imperative to sit down with time before your party, be it a graduation party or not, and decide what you will prepare. Usually, picking a theme for your party will make decision making much easier. Consider the guests you will have at your party, as you may have to account for food allergies. Then break down the party into three courses of food because food is center of all social events. Here’s how we break it down:
Appetizers
Appetizers will take place as your guests arrive and mill around, so as they chat, then can have a little snack. This piece of the party usually lasts anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half – it’s up to you! Make sure to serve a variety of different finger foods, easy to eat and full of flavor; guests love having options. Consider the quantity of food you will need so that your guests can eat comfortably (and it’s O.K. to have a little left over).
The Main Course
Any perfect party spread shines its brightest during the main course of the meal, which takes place about an hour after appetizer hour ends. Allow your guests time to socialize while they eat and have a couple of drinks, especially if your party’s bar is closing during the dinner hour! It’s imperative to serve hot food and it’s imperative to serve a complete meal that touches on all the food groups.
Example: red meat option, white meat option, vegetable, potato and/or pasta, bread, and salad
So long as the food is hot and made with love, your main course will wow your guests! Plus, with more variety, it’s easier to please more people’s taste buds.
Dessert (and Coffee)
After dinner is over and the food comas end, it’s time for the last (and best) part of the spread, the sweets. Consider dessert to be your post dinner appetizer; partygoers love sweets when they enjoy a night out, they tend to indulge, which we encourage! So, be sure to hit your basics, cookies, a cake and fruit. And don’t forget coffee because every good cookie needs dunked in a cup of joe, so coffee during dessert is a must.
After dessert is served, take a seat and pat yourself on the back, because you have officially achieved the perfect party spread. Enjoy your guests, enjoy your grad and enjoy the rest of the night; you deserve it!
If the perfect party spread is too hard for you to execute on your own and you need a hand, we at Jim Alesci’s are a party throwing extraordinaire and happy to help! We will help you be a guest at your own party.