Come dine with me
There may be some debate as to the name of the evening meal spent around the family table. Southerners tend to refer to lunch as dinner and the evening meal as supper. Supper may mean an informal meal whereas dinner tends to be its more formal sister. Sunday Dinner was a late afternoon meal at our house preceded by church that morning. It was guaranteed to be followed by a long deep nap with a full belly; a sweet sleep characterized only by the fact that Sunday was a day of rest. Dinner may have different meanings as far as time is concerned, but it's at the dinner table where great things happen. It’s the place for heart and hospitality.
As a child, our family of four sat at the table almost every night for dinner. It was full of conversation starting with “Pass the potatoes.” We each laid out our day, our thoughts, our opinions, and heard stories from our parents’ childhoods that we may or may not have heard a million times before, but were still met with laughter. We always lingered longer at the table, holding on to our talks until we were uncomfortable enough in our straight backed chairs to move on to whatever our evening held for us. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were living out Bre Doucette’s book The Gift of Gathering when she wrote, “When you set a place around the table, you invite others to nourishment that feeds more than appetites. . . it feeds souls.”
As an adult, dinner has become a delight. Not the food preparation or the setting of the table, but rather, the concept of dinner. I have fallen in love with interactive dinners with friends and family; dinners that require everyone to serve each other in some way. When all our friends join together for a Raclette dinner, the atmosphere is electric with conversation.. The table is crisscrossed with the passing of grilled meats, veggies, and steamed potatoes. We’re all waiting for our favorite cheeses to melt to pour over our prepared plates. And of course, the wine is flowing. We all have different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different seasons of life, but dinner brings us all together, to be common together, to celebrate together.
Even when it just happens to be a friend and me, it’s the same vibe. We may pick a favorite restaurant we’ve visited often or a new one because I’ve had my eye on Whole Branzino and today is the day! We have our birthday tradition that we’ve named “Restaurant Crawl” where we make reservations for several restaurants. The first reservation has us sharing amazing appetizers. Then another for sensational salad. We swoon over unique entrees and decadent desserts until several restaurants and hours have passed. Our entire evening has been spent around multiple dinner tables with extraordinary conversation and food that has us doing it again year after year.
Summer in the south can be brutal. Humidity can be a beast and it can be hotter than a… well… insert your choice of southern euphemisms. Unless you’re poolside for every event, beating the heat can be a challenge. With a little planning and anticipating the needs of our guests, we can easily rise above the heat no matter how high the mercury climbs.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Regardless of the type of the event, water and other refreshments are a necessity. Be sure to provide drinks before, during, and after your event. Wedding days can be long. Bridal parties need plenty to drink and eat while readying themselves for the big moment. Provide plenty of drinks for guests during the reception time by having refreshment centers. Personalized water bottles are a cute consideration for wedding favors and can be refilled throughout the event. Fruit and herb infused waters are a guest favorite and taste amazing on a hot day. Put a southern spin on your refreshments by creating custom infused iced teas, fruit spritzers, lemonades, and mint julep mocktails.
Cool as a Cucumber
Provide your guests with options for staying cool when stepping indoors is a limited option. Personalized hand fans are an easy way to stay cool and look cool doing it. A quick flick of the wrist and a swift breeze knocks the heat away. Lingering outdoors without shade? Umbrellas or parasols can add an element of sophistication while providing quick shade from an overbearing sun. On a larger scale, canopies or tents as lounging areas are a great way to get shade where shade is needed.
Bugs and Burns
It isn’t summer in the south without mosquitos and sunburn. If you’re like my husband, you’re a mosquito magnet. If the sun isn’t getting you, mosquitoes certainly are. Protect your guests by providing mosquito spray and sunscreen stations. Access to mosquito spray and sunscreen is a small amenity with a huge benefit.
Blinded by the Light
Throw some shade with shades. Left your sunglasses behind? No worries, we have you covered! Personalized sunglasses are the perfect party favor for your guests. They are a fun way for guests to create one photo op after another. Sunglasses can be customized to almost any shape and color. It’s all day fun in the sun!
It’s the southern summer, y’all. Anticipate all the things that summer brings and the needs your guests will have while trying to enjoy it. Give them something to talk about and let them leave wanting to do it again. At the end, just think “have you summered properly?” (The Beachcomber Restaurant, Cape Cod, Massachusetts).
Then there are the private dinners. The table is perfectly set. The chef is on point with mouthwatering Tuscan Chicken; and the Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake is straight from heaven. The weather could not be more gorgeous this evening with a slight breeze, just enough to keep you cool. You linger over glasses of wine and the conversation is quiet and gentle. It feels like years pass during dinner as time slows down just for the evening. In the summer season, you can hear the Whippoorwills call in the night air and fire flies are bringing the twinkle. All the elements are absolute perfection as the dinner table is the star
I do have a fondness for food, but the dinner table holds more than just food for me. It’s where the best memories are created, the best stories are told, and best friends are made. A dinner table can captivate the eye with beautiful centerpieces, lavish foods, and bold wines; but if it has no heart, it’s just a table. I love Shauna Niequist’s quote on the dinner table, “If the home is a body, The Table is the heart, the beating center…” When you create your dinner events this summer, no matter how large or small, for friends, family, or strangers, bring it.
Bring the food. Bring the drink. Bring the hospitality and the heart.
