Pizza and salad is fine.

Anonymous wrote:Lasagna is nice. You can get a big pan of lasagna from an Italian market, and it's more grown up than pizza.

Or make a big pot of homemade sauce + pasta + salad. Add meatballs if you want.

This, or a pasta dish and chicken dish or something. Those things travel and heat well. Make a salad and dessert, and a cheese platter with olives, nuts etc.

Moiby Dick

I've never been served pizza at a dinner party before. I would think that it'd be easier for you to prepare chicken or something similar and then buy in the salads etc. Get a couple of spatchcocked chickens (from TJs?) and roast in the oven with whole head of garlic, some halved lemons and some herbs. Get some bagged salad and add a nice dressing. Some nice bread. Maybe some cheese (Whole Foods). Can you get meringue nests? Serve with fresh berries and some whipped cream. Easy and tasty.

you could do chicken--I like Oohs and Aahs but Nando's is also good--and that's easy to make a salad and some sides and desserts that go well with it.

Sonny's and Sidedoor have great Detroit style pizzas.

Make a green salad with interesting things cut up in it - purple carrots, orange tomatoes, beets, parsley, basil, and a homemade simple dressing. And then get some good local strawberries and poundcake and fresh whipped cream.

A pizza is boring. Can you grill? Or is that too labor intensive?

Pizza and salad is ALWAYS a good idea. I'd do that.

Where do you live?

If DC, I’d totally make salad and have a nice dessert (cupcakes, ice cream) and just order some trendy pizza like Timber Pizza Co or one of the many Detroit style places that have sprung up.

You could add sliced avocado to your salad with a garlicky, citrusy, vinaigrette.

And +1 with pasta, but I would do a pasta bar with Rao’s marinara, Parmesan cheese, meatballs, basil, etc.

Lasagna is nice. You can get a big pan of lasagna from an Italian market, and it's more grown up than pizza.

Or make a big pot of homemade sauce + pasta + salad. Add meatballs if you want.

I’m planning on having a few friends over for dinner next weekend. Given the pandemic, it’s been a while since I’ve hosted a dinner party and I’m blanking on what to serve. Since we have a baby, I’d like to outsource the main course and maybe make a salad or appetizer to complement. Any suggestions on what to serve? No dietary restrictions. I was thinking of ordering pizza and maybe making a salad to go with it but that sounds so boring. Please help!