This year for Valentine’s Day, my wife and I had a small dinner party (calm down, COVID enthusiasts, there were only six of us, and we’ve all recently been tested).  Three couples, a nice dinner in our home, and some after-dinner games and conversation – all very simple, yet we had a marvelous time.

I was thinking today that this used to be a common thing (and I mean decades ago, not merely since the pandemic made everyone a prisoner in their own domicile).  Watch any sitcom or drama from prime-time television in the1970s.  What was the setting that provided all of the humor, angst, or dramatic revelation in a character arc? 

The dinner party.

Whether it was “Maude”, “The Waltons”, or “Emergency”, a dinner party had all the makings of fine entertainment.

These days, some supper clubs are making a comeback (albeit slower with the lockdowns), where one can gather with a group of friends for pre-dinner cocktails, a nice meal, and then some post-meal entertainment (like a singer, musical trio, or other lounge act) – all under one roof.

Even in this post-COVID environment (where entertainment and dining options are limited), there’s still no reason that friends can’t gather (in limited numbers) for some food and fellowship.

As you might guess from this blog’s title, I like to cook.  My wife and I have held many, many dinners at our house over the years – and we really like to “amp up” the experience and have fun with it.  We call our little place “Ten” (our house number), and an evening here includes pre-dinner cocktails and some light hors d’oeuvres in the living room, followed by a three course meal in our dining room (with a wine or beer pairing), closing out with after-dinner drinks, conversation, and/or party games in whichever room the mood or circumstances take us.

I work the “back of the house”, handling all the kitchen duties (I even wear my chef’s coat), while my wife handles all of the “front of the house” duties, where she oversees the table, the drinks, and the company.  We like to “theme” our nights, based upon a cooking style or culinary region (our dinner on Valentine’s Day was provincial French-inspired), and will work with our guests on menus and dietary restrictions.  We’ve done Asian fusion, steakhouse, seafood, gluten-free meals, and even opened up “Ten” for the kids as a pre-meal for a school dance on one occasion.  I print out menus, we set out all of the proper flatware, I come out of the kitchen and talk about each course, my wife explains the wine, and it gives everyone a chance to have a “nice” night out (without feeling the pressure of using the “correct” glass or fork in front of other people).  We really do enjoy it – and our reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

As an unexpected result, “Ten” has developed quite a following and some local “underground” status.  We’ve auctioned off dinners at church bazzars or charity events, and I’m astonished at some of the prices our entries have gone for (in the end, all for a worthy causes).  We jokingly refer to “our restaurant” in the third person, and people are always looking for a way to “get in”. 

All that being said, one really doesn’t have to go to our lengths in order to host a successful dinner party.  That couple you’ve been meaning to stay in touch with?  Give them a call and invite them over for a home-cooked meal (and it doesn’t have to be “fancy”).  Turn off the TV, put on some music, and see where the evening takes you.

You may find it’s the antidote for the wintertime/COVID/modern rat-race blues you’ve been looking for.