the art of ENTERTAINING

When you’re hosting or attending an event, these thoughtful tips and suggestions— suited to all occasions—will help make hospitality a real pleasure.

EVERYONE KNOWS it takes a certain amount of planning to have a successful dinner party — and frankly, that’s part of the fun. And while every event is unique and has its own style and menu (as the other stories in this issue show), there are still some general rules that apply to just about every occasion. Here we’d like to share some of the tips and good advice for hosts—and guests—that we have gathered over the years at Food & Drink.

We’ve also included suggestions for wines, beers and other drinks that have proven to be surefire crowd-pleasers, whether brought to the party by a guest or proudly served by the host. There’s a special pleasure in the giving and receiving of hospitality; we hope our ideas help enhance that pleasure for you.

Guests can hang on to their glass all evening long at a casual gathering, but if you’re sitting down to dine, consider setting pristine new glasses on the table.