Anatomy of a Dinner Party: a day in the life of a hospitalityaholic
 

Our Christmas Feast for Six

Written by Patti on December 26th, 2009

Good Afternoon(!!), Darlings!

I trust you all had a bang up Christmas.  We certainly did.  There were six of us gathered around the table this year and it was the one of the nicest Christmases I can remember. Oh, we had fun. But you knew that already, didn’t you? 🙂

First, let me list the menu:

Prime Rib, Dry Aged By Eric
Yorkshire Pudding
Mashed Potatoes
Peas
John’s Awesome Veggie Bake w/Brussel Sprouts, Portabellos, Broccoli, Wild Rice, Cheese (Everyone had at least 2 helpings of this!)
Beef Gravy
Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding w/Homemade Whipped Cream
Everything Cookies
Buckets and Buckets of Champagne

More Christmas Celebrations After The Fold

 

Pho With The Girls

Written by Patti on December 23rd, 2009
Fresh, Tasty Spring Rolls!

Fresh, Tasty Spring Rolls!

Good Morning, Darlings!

Yesterday I had a great time with Tami and Shameeka at lunch.  Our original destination, Chateau Saigon, apparently has closed, but Shameeka knew just where to take us.  She took us to her favorite pho restaurant, Pho Dai Loi and soon we were all tucking into cha gio, spring rolls and the most delicious noodle dishes ever. We were so hungry that we forgot about pictures, but here is a nice review from The Blissful Glutton. Not only was it incredibly tasty, but so cheap!  I paid for pho for Eric and me (Eric was working, so take out was in order), and an order of cha gio and it was $16. I sure love Buford Highway. If you are in Atlanta and want the lowdown on how to Eat Buford Highway, try the website….Eat Buford Highway!

Shameeka was on fire yesterday and after lunch, took us all to a cupcake place she has been wanting to try. Caryn’s Cakes is the place where we all chose a cupcake (or two!) This was accompanied by champagne at my house and then our visit was done. It was all so quick!

But today I am off with Morgan to shop. If you don’t recall, Morgan is the niece of my bff, Vickie and she is staying with us until Christmas Eve. So I am enjoying all the time I can with her.  I know you understand.

But tomorrow I am back to discuss the Christmas Tablescape. Have a wonderful day, Darlings!

xoxo, Patti

 

Ormsby’s

Written by Patti on December 22nd, 2009

Good Morning, Darlings!

Saturday afternoon Eric and I ventured to the new Westside pub, Ormsby’s.  Owned by the folks who brought you Atkins Park and Aunt Charley’s (anybody remember Aunt Charley’s?)  It was a great time.

Tucked right under Room & Board at 14th and Howell Mill in the White Star Provisions building, it is adorable.  Very pubby. Lots of cozy booths and hardwood floors.  We settled into a booth and took a look at the beer and wine list. Very extensive. Well, the beer list is longer than the wine list.  But Eric decided on Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and I chose a nice Chardonnay whose name I cannot recall.

Food Pics After The Fold

 

There’s A White Elephant In The Room…

Written by Patti on December 21st, 2009

Good Morning, Darlings!

Four more shopping days until Christmas! So exciting!

This weekend was a bundle of fun.  Friday night my darling and I spent the evening in, watching movies and cuddling up on the couch. Perfect time!  Saturday was Val and Jay’s White Elephant Party. You know about White Elephant parties, right?  Everyone brings an inexpensive gift and puts it under the tree.  Then a corresponding number goes into a hat for drawing later.  You all draw numbers (although Jay and Val did theirs a bit different – they put everyone’s name into a hat and then drew them for picking a gift), pick a gift, unwrap it and decide whether you want to keep it or trade for a gift that someone else has.  It was just a blast.  All our neighbors were there (I seriously love walking to and from these parties!), the food was great and the gifts hilarious.  Sorry, but some of them were fairly NSFW (not suitable for work viewing), but I did take plenty of photos.  Take a look:

More Zaniness After The Fold

 

Sugar Coma!

Written by Patti on December 19th, 2009
Sugar Plums, Macarons, Cupcakes...Oh My!

One of Tartelette's Gorgeous Macarons!

Good Morning, Darlings!

As this is the time of year when sugar plums are dancing in your head, I would like to let you in on a super cool event happening on Saturday, January 16. It is being organized by super fab Shameeka of The Broke Socialite, who has just been invited (along with my other buddies, Laura at The Weary Publicist and my darling Tami at Running With Tweezers) to attend the Martha Stewart Show in NYC on Bloggers!! I am so excited for them and cannot wait to hear every detail when they return. Here are the details on this super fabulous, super exclusive event:

The Broke Socialite has embarked upon the creation of a unique series of experiences in Atlanta. The first will be held on January 16, 2010 and is entitled “Sugar Coma”. In essence, it is a tour of local bakeries, cupcakeries and restaurants that serve sweets, which allows those with a hankering for all things sweet to be chauffeured on a tour of some of the city’s finest establishments. On the flip side, it’s a great opportunity for a business or chef to market their offerings and share “test kitchen”/new recipes with feedback that will be channeled through the waves of social media. I am looking forward to Sugar Coma being a successful event and trust that it will set a precedent for those that will follow in the series.

Helen McSweeney, a French pastry chef out of Charleston, has come on board as our “Sugar Mama” (read: keynote) and she will discuss her experiences as a blogger, foodie, pastry chef and will facilitate Q&A between stops on the trip. This is a tremendous coup! Through her blog, Tartelette, Helen teases us with the yummy desserts that she chefs up and photographs. She has also been nominated among the 50 Best Food Bloggers In The World. I know…awesome, right?!

Tickets are $40, Cadillac is the transportation sponsor (!!), and you get to eat sweets all day – it’s required!You can get all the details at the Broke Socialite’s site.

Will I be there? You bet your sweet cupcake, I will! Come out and lets get chauffered around sampling sweets.

You deserve it!

xoxo, Patti

 

Diane and Jonathan & Crystal and Teague

Written by Patti on December 18th, 2009
Warm and Inviting, Yes?

Warm and Inviting, Yes?

Good Morning, Darlings!

It is a very rainy day here in Atlanta. I understand there will be snow up north. But here, not so much.

But it has been cold! I thought some soup was in order.  Miss Diane was sweet to pick up a gift for us and swing it by, so I thought she should have dinner with us.  She called me mid-afternoon to let me know that her beau Jonathan would be flying in from assignment in Columbus, Ohio early evening.  How exciting!  We would finally meet her mystery man.  Jonathan is a well-respected videographer and we couldn’t wait for him to join us.

And to add to the mix, we invited Crystal and Teague to join us.  I love a party!

More Dinner Party Fun After The Fold

 

Bocado

Written by Patti on December 17th, 2009

Good Morning, Darlings! Hope your holiday season is coming along swimmingly.

Yesterday I had the good fortune to lunch with sweet friend Tami, of Running With Tweezers at Bocado, a new restaurant on the Westside of Atlanta (not too far from my house!) Apparently, I am Tardy For the Party***, since I am the only person I know who has not been there yet.  It was wonderful. Full of great conversation and great food.

Tami ordered the salad with cranberries, goat cheese and pecans.  I ordered the cubano – their cuban sandwich, made with homemade pickles! Yummy. And we split a order of the decadent garlic fries – fabulous! Some photos for you:

Tami's Salad With Goat Cheese and Cranberries

Tami's Salad With Goat Cheese and Cranberries

My Cubano, With Those Homemade Pickles

My Cubano, With Those Homemade Pickles

The Oh So Bad For You, But Taste So Good Garlic Fries

The Oh So Bad For You, But Taste So Good Garlic Fries

It was the nicest visit. It was so lovely that we are doing it all again on Tuesday, but this time with the incredible Miss “Broke Socialite” Shameeka.  We will be traveling to Buford Highway, and that’s always an adventure.

Since it was Wednesday, you know what that means – dinner with Miss Diane.  Last night I was kickin’ it old school with a simple meal of fried pork chops, mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans. And champagne, because if you get the chance, you should always drink champagne.

More cooking fun tomorrow, Darlings!

xoxo, Patti

***In no way endorsing those awful “Real Housewives of Atlanta”, but I thought the title was funny….

 

Comfort Food and More Comfort Food

Written by Patti on December 16th, 2009

Good Morning, Darlings!

Since our holiday party I have been in a bit of a fog…part dreamy, part wiped out.  But of course, I am still eating and cooking. And when I’m not, I’m at someone else’s place sitting, drinking and eating.  The day after the party and last night were two such times that I played the guest and not the host, which is so nice.

Sunday, Tracy and Isham put together the most amazing dinner that required Eric and me to only get off the couch, change out of pajamas, and mosey across the street. Nope, no driving involved.  There we found roast pork with a cherry/raisin chutney, cheese bread and the most decadent mashed potatoes I have ever eaten. I believe they contained butter, cream cheese and sour cream. Oh my goodness, they were tasty.  Joining us were Tracy’s friends Mark and Wesley, who are flat out hilarious and the dinner conversation took such odd twists and turns that I can honestly say I can’t remember having a more unusual or lively visit. It was terrific, meeting new friends was terrific and Tracy & Ish are super terrific to have us all over.  It was nice to eat real food. Not party food or pizza.  Of course, I forgot my camera, but I will stop doing that. Sorry, Sweeties!

Last night found me at the glamorous new loft of bestie Clint for cookie making.  Clint and I had not caught up in ages and we just didn’t feel like getting our hands dirty with messy cookie dough, so Clint pulled some containers of pre-made cookie dough out of the fridge and we just scooped, baked and ate. And ate. They were yummy!  We visited, toured the loft, decorated the tree and generally enjoyed each other’s company. Clint has been globe hopping lately – freshly back from St. Thomas and off to Memphis for Christmas – I was lucky to spend an evening with him.  Pictures? Nope, not last night either. I have got to snap out of it!

Today, I will be having lunch with buddy Tami at Bocado. Promise to report in full and take photos.

xoxo, Patti

 

We Have A Winner!

Written by Patti on December 15th, 2009

Good Morning, Darlings!

Our cupcapron winner is Jes from The Cupcake Punk! Woo Hoo!!

Jes, I am emailing you right now to get your details so I can send you your apron!

Congratulations!!

xoxo, Patti

 

Christmas Party 2009

Written by Patti on December 14th, 2009

Good Morning, Darlings!

Thank you for allowing me to rest and recuperate yesterday after our big night.

Party day started off early with me driving the dogs to camp to stay until Monday. They were happy and I was happy.

Once I was back at home the prep began in earnest. Eric swept and mopped the bathrooms while I dusted. John was over at noon and he and Eric put up the tents in the backyard. Lights were attached at the top for extra illumination. Becky and Tim brought by their standing heater and Jeff came by to make sure it was in working order. Oops! Looks like we realized that we had the wrong heater too late and it wasn’t able to be traded out. But no matter, we had plenty of room on the front porch for outside smokers.

Teague dropped off extra serving pieces, their huge standing cooler for beer on the porch and an extra tablecloth for concealing the front of the table. The kitchen table was moved to make space for Farzana, who would be our Kitchen Manager for the evening. The bar was emptied and moved to make a great bar space for Wallace. Tables were set up behind the bar to make room for wine, ice, liquor and mixers.

The phone rang a zillion times with calls and texts. Some were sending regrets, others to tell me the name of their guest had changed (well, their name hadn’t changed, she just changed her date….).

The weather – very cold and drizzly. Mood – upbeat and sunny.

I finally hit the showers at 6 p.m. – with a 7 p.m. party call. I was really cutting it close.

6:30pm – Farzana and Wallace arrive. I am still blow drying my hair.

Wallace, The Heart of Our Party

Wallace, The Heart of Our Party

I can’t begin to tell you how fabulous Wallace was. He anchored this soiree. He answered the door, he greeted guests with glasses of champagne (because one hostess was busy getting false eyelashes applied by Art Director Tracy), he put everyone at ease and he was an angel to remember everything I forgot to pick up on the list he sent me (stirrers, etc….). When I suggested Wallace take a break mid-evening so I could tend bar, no one ordered anything because they wanted Wallace to make them a drink. This is the mark of a GREAT bartender and I was delighted! As long as Wallace is willing, he will be tending bar at every party we give from now on.

And Kitchen Manager Farzana was nothing short of spectacular. With some direction from Eric (still drying hair and putting on false eyelashes was I), she took over and kept everything fresh, hot and looking gorgeous. And she was gorgeous, too. And sweet. I hit the jackpot with Wallace and Farzana and the party would not have been nearly the success without them.

Table As It Was Being Laden With Food...

Table As It Was Being Laden With Food...

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