How to Host a Dinner Party in Your Apartment at Ascend Meadowdale
You don’t need a formal dining room to throw a great dinner party. A little planning around what to cook ahead, where guests will sit, and how to keep drinks within reach helps you spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the table.
Start with your apartment at Ascend Meadowdale, a few favorite dishes, and a guest list that fits comfortably around your table. From setting up your space to choosing a manageable menu, here’s how to host an evening you’ll enjoy as much as your guests do.
Set Up the Living Room and Kitchen for Guests
Seating comes first, and mismatched chairs work fine around one table. Dining chairs, desk chairs, and an ottoman will all work as seating, and pulling the coffee table into the middle of the living room with cushions around it seats a few more. Count the seats a day ahead so you have time to borrow chairs from a neighbor or pick some up at a nearby store.
Lighting is the last step. Warm light sets the mood for dinner, so use two or three soft sources at eye level, like a floor lamp in the corner and a lamp on a side table. Add a few candles down the middle of the dining table to create warmer light as people eat.
Plan a Menu You Can Make Ahead
Decide on dishes that cook quickly or prep early for longer recipes so it's done before the first guest arrives. Braises, stews, and baked pasta all taste better after a night in the refrigerator, so make one of those the day before and reheat it in the oven.
Sides can be prepped just as far ahead. A large salad can be made in the morning if you hold the dressing until people sit down, and roasted vegetables can go into the oven as guests arrive and come out hot when the main dish does.
Before any cooking starts, stage the whole meal on the granite countertops. Lay out the bowls and cutting board, and place the dishes in order so you can work down the counter in one pass.
You can finish dessert a few hours early too. A tart, a crumble, or a bowl of fruit and cream is fine at room temperature, so the oven stays free for the main dish.
Put Drinks in Their Own Corner
A drink station in the living area means guests pour their own drinks while you finish in the kitchen. A side table, a bar cart, or the end of a short bookshelf all work. Keep glasses, ice, and mixers beside the bottles so guests can help themselves.
Stock the station with a few options. One red or white wine and one non-alcoholic option give everyone a drink, and a pitcher of a mixed drink made ahead means you pour once and leave it out for the night.
Ice runs low quickly at a party, so fill two trays the night before. Keep the bowl or bucket next to the glasses, and anyone can top off their own drink.
Host Your First Dinner Party at Ascend Meadowdale
A dinner party is one of the best reasons to have people in your apartment. With the seating counted, the menu cooked ahead, and the drinks in their own corner, you spend the evening at the table with your guests.
The apartments at Ascend Meadowdale in Bremerton, WA, have counter space, large dining areas, and open floor plans that accommodate a great dinner party. Find the right floor plan and picture your friends and family enjoying a fun night. Schedule a tour at Ascend Meadowdale today to check out our apartments in person.
