Re: Buffet Style, Tabletop or Other?

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

Since we only have a kitchen table that seats 4, we only have 2 over at a time. So if I fix a holiday dinner, I bring up from the basement our 3' diam round table that 3 seasons of the year it is on our porch. I put a tablecloth on it and place it right next to our kitchen table. All the casserole dishes, platter for the meat, basket for the rolls go on that table.

After the table is set with place settings/dinnerware/chargers/goblets/etc, other than a few small decor pieces in the center of the table, there is only room left for salt/pepper shakers and the butter dish...LOL

As for dessert, we finish eating then everyone goes into the livingroom and I clean the kitchen/table and put leftovers away. Then I will serve coffee and pie...or whatever we are having for dessert. Sometimes I make a variety of homemade cookies everyone loves

Regal Bee · ‎07-20-2017

@Susan Louise I have never thought of making a variety of cookies....that is such a good idea and I love to bake. Thanks. I would spend my day in the kitchen baking if I could.

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

@Regal Bee The fave cookie they ask for here are my oatmeal cookies. Instead of raisins I add white chocolate chips and 'Crasins' from Ocean Spray (dried cranberries). I also make some with the butterscotch morsals.

Another fave are those PB cookies with the chocolate kisses...yum!

mima · ‎03-14-2010

When I used to do big dinners it was always buffet style. We have seating for 14 easily in our kitchen/dining room. Sometimes we had to use a card table for extra seating.

My actual kitchen is U shaped. One long side of the U is just counter top with no stove, sink or fridge. I use that long counter to line crockpots. If the food is kept hot, they can come back for more all afternoon if they want. We don't dish stuff up in fancy serving dishes. The cold stuff can be in fancy dishes though.

My daughter took over the dinners the last several years and she does the same thing. She doesn't have the long counter I have, but she does use her counter for all the crockpots.

Works great! We are not formal people. LOL

CANDLEQUEEN · ‎03-09-2010

We've have always done buffet.......Both mine and my husband have big families and there is no way we can all fit at one table......Buffet is definitely easier and most people I think like to serve themselves........

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Susan Louise wrote:
Since we only have a kitchen table that seats 4, we only have 2 over at a time. So if I fix a holiday dinner, I bring up from the basement our 3' diam round table that 3 seasons of the year it is on our porch. I put a tablecloth on it and place it right next to our kitchen table. All the casserole dishes, platter for the meat, basket for the rolls go on that table.

After the table is set with place settings/dinnerware/chargers/goblets/etc, other than a few small decor pieces in the center of the table, there is only room left for salt/pepper shakers and the butter dish...LOL

As for dessert, we finish eating then everyone goes into the livingroom and I clean the kitchen/table and put leftovers away. Then I will serve coffee and pie...or whatever we are having for dessert. Sometimes I make a variety of homemade cookies everyone loves

@Susan Louise

I often do homemade cookies for dessert for a big gathering too. I make an old family recipe for buttermilk sugar cookies that you roll and cut out and choose a shape for the season or the holiday, and decorate them festively, among others/

They make a nice garnish if you will, around another form of dessert, like a cake in the center or a cheese cake etc.

If we are having a big crowd, I do a dessert bar with up to a half dozen different kinds of dessert (always homemade, not a fan of store bought desserts). Having a variety of cookies as one of those choices makes it easy, as they can be baked ahead and frozen, to be taken out the day of the event. One less thing to do the couple of days before entertaining.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@CANDLEQUEEN wrote:
We've have always done buffet.......Both mine and my husband have big families and there is no way we can all fit at one table......Buffet is definitely easier and most people I think like to serve themselves........

I agree, having people choose their food, and fill their plates away from the dining table also prevents uneasy feelings. Sometimes people don't care for certain foods, and when you have dishes at the table, passing them around it is quite obvious when people keep passing on something and not taking any.

Seems easier to not put either the host or the guest in an awkward spot, as going through the buffet line, it just doesn't seem as obvious.

Marsha2003 · ‎03-12-2010

For big holiday dinners, there are too many people for one table so we serve buffet-style. Condiments are on each table. Desserts and coffee are also buffet-style in another area.

For dinner parties of eight or less, I serve dinners that have been plated in the kitchen. Condiments, rolls, water and wine are at the table. I usually bring in a dessert tray or plated desserts after I clear the entree dishes.

A little off-topic, but do you have dinner attendees that are always significantly late? I plan to serve within 30 minutes of the stated arrival time and it annoys me so much that people will show up an hour or more late without warning.

Regal Bee · ‎07-20-2017

@Mominohio wrote:
@CANDLEQUEEN wrote:
We've have always done buffet.......Both mine and my husband have big families and there is no way we can all fit at one table......Buffet is definitely easier and most people I think like to serve themselves........

I agree, having people choose their food, and fill their plates away from the dining table also prevents uneasy feelings. Sometimes people don't care for certain foods, and when you have dishes at the table, passing them around it is quite obvious when people keep passing on something and not taking any.

Seems easier to not put either the host or the guest in an awkward spot, as going through the buffet line, it just doesn't seem as obvious.

@Mominohio You are so right....it is far less awkward, for me, anyway. But, everyone must do what is right for them.

Regal Bee · ‎07-20-2017

@Marsha2003 wrote:
For big holiday dinners, there are too many people for one table so we serve buffet-style. Condiments are on each table. Desserts and coffee are also buffet-style in another area.

For dinner parties of eight or less, I serve dinners that have been plated in the kitchen. Condiments, rolls, water and wine are at the table. I usually bring in a dessert tray or plated desserts after I clear the entree dishes.

A little off-topic, but do you have dinner attendees that are always significantly late? I plan to serve within 30 minutes of the stated arrival time and it annoys me so much that people will show up an hour or more late without warning.

@Marsha2003 About being late, all the time.

People that know me know that I do not tolerate lateness. I go to a lot of trouble for my dinners, even ordinary ones and I consider lateness downright rude. I am not talking about emergencies, etc....but general lateness is a BIG no-no with me. It is totally inconsiderate to the hostess.