Youve mastered the main dish and slaved over dessert; the guest list is perfect and the table is set. How you serve dinner to your guests - the serving style that you choose - may be the final point to your perfect dinner party.
Whether youre setting up food on a buffet line, plating up restaurant style and serving individual plates to each guest, or passing the serving dishes in a family-style setting, each serving style has pros and cons.
The best serving style for your dinner party may depend on your guests, your house, your menu and the type of party youre having.
Buffets
Buffets, in which you line up the food on a table or a counter, and guests pick up a plate and serve themselves, are great for casual dinner parties, dinners in which you are not sitting at a traditional table, and for large groups.
If youre serving Japanese and sitting on cushions around a large coffee table in the living room, a buffet is perfect. If youre having chili and cornbread while watching a football game, do a buffet. If youre presenting a variety of ethnic dishes and you want your guests to try a little of everything – buffet it.
Buffets have lots of advantages. Guests get to choose what they want and how much they want of it. Picking up a plate and walking through a buffet line isnt the fanciest way of serving dinner, but its the overall best way to have a casual dinner party. Buffet lines eliminate all the awkward passing of plates, reaching, and finding room on the table for all the serving dishes.
Disadvantages? As host, you dont get to choose how the food is presented on individual plates. Garnish and presentation is limited to serving dishes.
Short of putting up signs, theres no way you can control portions. If there is only enough beef tenderloin for each guest to have two small pieces, and the first guest through the buffet line takes four, youll be left with a dilemma on your hands.
Plating Up Restaurant Style
This one is simple: The host prepares each individual plate in the kitchen and then brings them out, serving them to guests.
Plating up leaves the host free to creatively assemble each plate for the perfect presentation. It also takes care of the issue of portions and delicately assembled dishes. Its also simple and elegant.
Worried about guests wanting seconds? After serving everyone and when you see some of your guests are getting close to finishing, bring out the serving dishes from the kitchen and put them in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves to seconds.
Downsides to plating up: More work for you as host, and potentially embarrassing for guests who dont like something that youve made.
Family Style Serving
The name says it all: Family style serving makes your guests feel like theyre sitting down at a family dinner table. Everyone sits down and the host starts passing serving dishes around for guests to fill their plates, serving themselves.
Family style has its benefits (or we wouldnt use it every night with our own families) but it does have its awkward traits. Serving dishes may be too heavy to hold with one hand while you serve with the other hand, and there may not be room at your table to set it down next to a plate while serving.
And even if you dont shout, Pass the corn, please, John Boy! this style of dinner party serving doesnt have much elegance. Its best saved for casual dinners with good friends.
Some Rules for Serving
- When passing serving dishes around the table, always pass from the left. Most people are right handed and can take the serving dish with their left hand, leaving their right hand free to serve.
- As the host, serve yourself last, whether its in a buffet line, passing plates or restaurant style.
- Serve plates restaurant-style starting with women, eldest to youngest, and then men, saving yourself for last. Clear plates counterclockwise starting with the person on your right.
- When preparing plates, dont over-serve. Keep portions on the small side and offer more for those who want seconds.
- If youre planning to put serving dishes in the middle of the table, be sure theres room. The night before your party, set empty dishes on the table as a test run.
- Clear the table of the main course dishes before bringing out dessert. Take out only two or three plates at a time. Youre not a busboy. Dont try to take too much into the kitchen in one trip. Clear the table as unobtrusively as you can, to keep your guests conversation flowing.
More Serving Style Suggestions
- Epicurious offers tips from experts on How to Entertain.
- Home Made Simple has some suggestions for the perfect buffet.
- Chef Michael Smith has some fun ideas for getting guests involved with the serving.
- Chef Brian Hay gives advice and tips on serving food in an Expert Village article.
- Chefsline.com suggests tailoring your serving style choice to the menu youre serving.
