Welcome to the latest edition of Come On Over, Food52 editorial director Julie Vadnal’s newsletter that’s all about hosting gatherings big and small—without losing your cool. Got company? Sign up here for her emails.
I’ll share a secret with you: I prefer Friendsgiving over Thanksgiving. It’s not that I don’t love my family (I do!) but there’s a communal casualness to gathering with friends that you don’t quite get on the big day itself. My rule for corralling friends for an early turkey day? I make it a potluck, so I only have to provide the bird—and the table setting, of course. But I’ll let you in on a second secret: setting the scene with the just-right mix of tableware is my favorite part.
I once had a boss who set her Thanksgiving table days in advance—and while that seems a little extra for Friendsgiving, putting together the table is one of the first things you can do day-of so that you’re not scrambling the hour before guests arrive.
Hear me out: Friendsgiving isn’t for your best china. Instead, it’s a chance to mix and match tableware (especially for those of us who don’t have 15 of the same plate). Sure, my collection of Sabre Bistrot flatware isn’t all one color, but mixing tortoiseshell, fern green, and ivory is a cool combo that always works.
It’s perfectly acceptable to ask your guests to bring side dishes, assigned out by category: salad, potatoes, squash, etc. Need inspo? We have 70+ (!) seasonal side dish ideas.
No foil serving trays in this house. Instead, I like to give guests options for displaying their dish, from oval platters to serving bowls to even a cake stand, which can hold anything from a mountain of rolls to, of course, a pie.
Most guests (at least my friends) appreciate an assignment, and adding them to a Spotify Jam that blares from my Sonos is a low-lift way for them to feel like they’re part of the festivities, too.
Because Friendsgiving is more casual than the real deal, I like to add stools and and poufs around my living room so my friends can get cozy when it’s time for pie.
Happy Friendsgiving! What’s your best hosting advice? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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