What do you bring to a dinner party?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottle of wine, great big SMILE and pleasant and interesting conversation.

Please don't bring interesting conversation. You will insult my ability provide the entire night's entertainment, which is going to be interesting stories about myself.

ROTFL!!!

[Anonymous]

I think flowers are great, and I agree with PP about bringing them in a vase. I think it depends on your crowd and how formal an occasion. I have had friends bring desert (which weren't home made) after I had made a fantastic dessert. I didn't want to offend so I served theirs and mind didn't get eaten. Please do not bring food unless you have been asked to by the host.

I think a bottle of champagne is good. At least it is always a welcome addition to our two buck chuck cellar! And we generally always start a dinner party with a bottle, or two!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes bring a host gift - a box of pretty soaps from L'occitane or something like that. But usually I bring a bottle or two or wine. I put it in a wine bag so that it's clear that it's a gift and that there's no expectation that it will be served.

I too will bring some nice soaps or some quality deodorants. The latter are often particularly welcome since they contain alcohol, so you can chug them down if the host's cellar is not up to snuff.

[Anonymous]

DO NOT bring food - dessert or appetizer or otherwise, without first consulting with the host or if it's solicited by the host. I labored over a dessert one time only to have our friends bring a store bought cake. I was insulted and frustrated because I had spent all this time preparing dinner and dessert.

Plus, appetizers, salads or other stuff might interfere with what the host is serving, spoil appetites (depending on what is brought) etc.

I love these other suggestions that pps have given - soaps, nice liquid hand soaps, etc - i've got ideas as the holiday season approaches.

[Anonymous]

If not wine, then flowers-how can you go wrong with a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers in a vase if you can swing it? Who doesn't like flowers?

[Anonymous]

^^^^ hahaha i'll second that

[Anonymous]

Whenever someone has brought a dessert, even after I (the host) has already made one, I just serve both. The guests can have the choice. Its not ideal, but it shouldnt make anyone upset.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to bring a 2-liter pepsi bottle to those pompous hosts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should never bring wine to a dinner party. To do so is to insult the cellar of your host.

I'm so glad somebody else was thinking the same thing I was. I would never dream of bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party- that is part of the host/hostess's pride of having a dinner party - it would be like showing up at mom's house on Thanksgiving with a turkey I cooked.

A delectable dessert (fine chocolates, gourmet pastries) or even a delightful appetizer would be a better idea. We've also brought a beautiful flower arrangement for the dinner table (not too big so people cant' see over it) or to place in the foyer.

OP here. I do think flowers are a nice alternative but a good tip I read somewhere is to have them in a vase so the hostess doesn't have to drop every thing to figure out where to put them.

Another vote for flowers here. And I like the idea of having them delivered the day off -- may start doing that. I have to say, that when I am throwing a dinner party I ahve thought through the meal from pre-dinner snacks to dessert and the wine I want to serve with the meal. So if someone brings wine or dessert I am always stuck with the issue to serve or not serve. I appreciate the thought behind the gift, but honestly all I really want my guests to bring are a good attitude and a good story or two (true or untrue).

[Anonymous]

I was insulted and frustrated because I had spent all this time preparing dinner and dessert.

You were really insulted? You didn't have to serve it - they were just trying to be nice.

[Anonymous]

If you bring dessert or chocolates to my house, I can promise you they will be in the snack pantry at my office on Monday morning. My husband and I are over 40 and watch what we eat like hawks; our big splurge is that homemade dessert we made to serve you! We will appreciate the thought, of course, but won't eat it.

As somebody who has given quite a few dinner parties in the last year or two, I am always glad to get wine or an interesting beer. I never take it as an insult to my "cellar" (um, wine rack) because I never assumed the people thought I would actually serve it. I usually carefully pick out wines to go with the meal, so I am not going to change plans. Flowers are nice, too. I have given candles, which I would love to receive, and I also like the soap idea. A neighbor gives us a bag of fresh citrus every Christmas, and I love that, too.

But, honestly, when I say "just bring yourselves" I mean it!!! No gift is required, but I always appreciate it - even if I do put it out at work for others to eat!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go ahead! Insult my cellar! But say one word about my attic, and you're out on your rear.

LOL!!

[Anonymous]

desserts will not be turned away.

[Anonymous]

I guess I run in pretty low-class circles, because I don't know anyone who would be insulted by wine. When the only friends with a wine cellar invite us we bring something else, mostly because we know that our taste is nowhere near as good as theirs.

My husband actually buys little hostess gifts when he sees something he likes while on travel. We have a drawer with little carved boxes from Thailand, pretty napkins from France, the gamut. For a really nice dinner party, we bring one of those. Otherwise we bring wine, chocolate, cake/cookies, or occasionally flowers. We bring flowers to parties at older people's houses. Older people seem to really enjoy receiving a bouquet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you bring dessert or chocolates to my house, I can promise you they will be in the snack pantry at my office on Monday morning. My husband and I are over 40 and watch what we eat like hawks; our big splurge is that homemade dessert we made to serve you! We will appreciate the thought, of course, but won't eat it.

As somebody who has given quite a few dinner parties in the last year or two, I am always glad to get wine or an interesting beer. I never take it as an insult to my "cellar" (um, wine rack) because I never assumed the people thought I would actually serve it. I usually carefully pick out wines to go with the meal, so I am not going to change plans. Flowers are nice, too. I have given candles, which I would love to receive, and I also like the soap idea. A neighbor gives us a bag of fresh citrus every Christmas, and I love that, too.

But, honestly, when I say "just bring yourselves" I mean it!!! No gift is required, but I always appreciate it - even if I do put it out at work for others to eat!

...and I will be in the office snack pantry the next day enjoying whatever you brought. Thanks! But I agree that I never expect folks to bring anything, and anything brought and offered is appreciated as a gesture of friendship an good intention.