4 Reasons Small Plates are a Hot Dinner Party Trend
August 24, 2014
I cook for a lot of dinner parties — in fact, they’re where I spend most of my time — and over the past few months, I’ve noticed one thing: dinner party hosts love small plates. Here’s why…
1. Small Plates Make it Easy to Mix & Mingle
Sitting down for a family dinner is always nice, but when it comes to larger dinner parties, people want to mix and mingle. Small plate dishes are easy to grab, eat and wander around with, making them a perfect fit for today’s modern dinner party.
2. Small Plates Create a Casual, Fun Atmosphere
Sit-down dinners tend to feel really formal, so a lot of my clients love the casual, fun vibe that a meal of all small plates brings.
3. Small Plates Mean Lots of Variety
When I cook more formal, sit-down dinners, clients tend to choose the same salad, main course and sides for everyone. With small plates, you have the opportunity to offer a wide variety of options for your guests, without breaking your budget. On average, my clients choose anywhere from 4-8 small plate options for their events.
4. You’ll Get More Time Interacting With Your Chef
When it comes to formal, plated dinners, your chef will be working hard to make sure everything is perfectly timed for the big meal, which means it’ll be harder for you to interact with him/her while they’re working. With small plates, I tend to stage the dishes, so that new items are fresh as people are ready for them. This also provides guests and the host(s) the opportunity to chat with me through the process — which I personally love!
Interested in incorporating small plates into your next dinner party?
Take a look at my sample menus to get an idea of what your options are, get an instant quote, and request to book!
I love the idea of using small plates to serve food. The point you made about having more time to socialize is really smart. Since no one needs to sit down and finish off a large plate of food, it leaves plenty of time to mingle and walk around. I think that small plates would be the perfect way to enjoy a private dining experience for my next get together.