Hosting gatherings with friends and family is among the many exciting things about summertime in San Antonio.
However, the prep, followthrough and cleanup are often intimidating enough to make us think twice about opening our home for a summer soiree. To remove some of the stress, we corralled Alamo City culinary and entertaining experts to offer tips on how to stage a memorable gathering with a minimum of fuss.
Set the table — and the scene
Creating a memorable tablescape is a great way to start planning for a summer get-together, our entertaining pros suggested. Complement interesting dishes with fabric table linens and nice dinnerware. Not only are these better for the environment than single-use materials, they show your guests how eager you are to celebrate your time together.
"Use the good china. Use the antique silverware. Use the nice stemware. Use the cloth napkins and fine tablecloths," Food Chick Tours owner and cookbook author Julia Rosenfeld said. "Life is short, and you'll be reducing waste."
India Rhodes, creative director of event-planning firm Wilkinson Rhodes, noted that incorporating fresh flowers, elegant candleholders and personalized place cards add a touch of sophistication. She also suggests setting the mood by decorating the outdoor space with string lights and lanterns to get everyone feeling festive before they even step through the door.
Serve a menu unique to your dining experience
For a truly memorable gathering, focus on dishes that are special to you in a fun or unique way. Sari-Sari Supper Club owner Camille De Los Santos suggested setting out a Kamayan feast on banana leaves with "literally any kind of food."
"At an employee party one year, we laid out banana leaves on a table, and made the largest loaded chips and queso set up ever," she said. "Save those plates. There's no need for all the excess dishes."
Chef Robert Cantu, head of the recently launched Nomad Chef, which offers customized omakase-style tastings in diners' homes, recommended offering guests a signature batched cocktail upon arrival and pairing it with a variety of homemade frozen treats.
"With the intense San Antonio heat, always think of ways to cool off your guests," Cantu said. "I suggest serving homemade paletas ... with different fruit pulps. You can add whatever fresh fruit to these for an exciting combination, [and then] dip them in your batched cocktail so your guests can inspire their own unique take."
One refreshing summer tipple Cantu suggested is an Improved Rum Cocktail, which uses aged rum, a dash of absinthe and two kinds of bitters for an icy, boozy blast of cooling freshness.
Remember the details
Details such as printed menus and a curated playlist go the extra mile for your guests provide surefire ways to amp up a summer soiree.
"From personalized name tags, specialized ice cubes or even creating a signature cocktail for the event, the details will be what your guests talk about," said Samantha Garcia of Picnic Envy, which specializes in customized picnics in variety of themes, color schemes and occasions. "The details bring your entire party together."
Event planner Rhodes agrees. Offering small indulgences throughout the event can make your guests feel pampered, she noted. That could include something as simple as serving champagne upon arrival or as complex as recapturing childhood summer nostalgia with a self-serve ice cream sundae bar.
Say "thank you for being here"
Avid home entertainer Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi, author of Joseph's Storehouse Baking Company: From my Heart to Yours, said showing gratitude to your guests doesn't have to be limited to the end of the meal.
"Most of my friends and family know how much effort it takes to host a meal, large or small. And when we're not the hostess, we want to help the one who is," McCurdy-Buonacorsi said. "I always offer my helpers a glass of wine, and our own little party starts while we pile side dishes onto platters and look for just the right serving utensil to go with them. ... It's so much more fun to prepare a meal with friends and family."
Of course, there's always an opportunity to thank your guests after the meal as well. Cookbook author Julia Rosenfeld recommends asking that guests bring containers for leftovers, extending the memories back to their homes while reducing leftovers in your fridge.
Further, she suggests sharing a recipe for a dish served at the party — or several — as part of a "thanks for coming" followup email.
"It's a great reminder of the event for years to come," Rosenfeld said.
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