Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We prefer to do buffet. That way, we pray first, then everyone goes through the line (and/or helps someone else go through), sit and eat. There’s less fuss and the food stays warmer. When there’s so much passing, you want to take a bite and then of course someone asks for something else.

People also act like they’ve never learned basic table manners before, and pass left, right, across, left…

How does it stay warmer?

Because the gravy is still on the stovetop, on warm, instead of in a gravy boat on the table; the mashed potatoes are in a pan on the sterno, not in a serving dish on the table; the dressing is in the crock pot on low, not in a serving dish on the table…

Buffet.

Our table isn't big enough to hold all of the food.

I would serve buffet style. Even when we host with 8-10 people, I find it hard to fill our plates at the table. Many of the dishes are too large to pass, people don’t pass everything around, so you have to ask for specific things, etc. Definitely go with buffet if you will have a separate table.

Problem with passing is you can't avoid taking a spoonful of Aunt Trudy's parsnip puree (which smells like feet) because she's the one handing it to you.

I think it depends on how big your table is. Last year I had 10, and we did family style passing. That is always how we did it when I was a kid, regardless of how many people we had. But I realized last year my table isn’t really big enough, so I would do buffet style next time. Though that raises its own issues, like can everyone easily get up and around to the food? My dining area is tight.
Thankfully this year I will have only five, so plenty of room for food and people at the table.

Buffet

Pass at the adult table, after plates made for kid table.

Anonymous wrote:We prefer to do buffet. That way, we pray first, then everyone goes through the line (and/or helps someone else go through), sit and eat. There’s less fuss and the food stays warmer. When there’s so much passing, you want to take a bite and then of course someone asks for something else.

People also act like they’ve never learned basic table manners before, and pass left, right, across, left…

How does it stay warmer?

buffet. we do the prayer first, while everyone is standing around the buffet. then people get food, sit down, and start eating when they sit down regardless of whether others are eating.

A buffet works better imo. Easier for the cooks, easier for parents. You just have to be willing to marshal people. Send the parents and the independent kids first. Anyone making a plate for an older person. Then the independent adults.
Put bread, water, and wine on the table. Start with full water glasses and let people pour the wine themselves, just watch the bottles.

We prefer to do buffet. That way, we pray first, then everyone goes through the line (and/or helps someone else go through), sit and eat. There’s less fuss and the food stays warmer. When there’s so much passing, you want to take a bite and then of course someone asks for something else.

People also act like they’ve never learned basic table manners before, and pass left, right, across, left…

We gave a folding table that can handle 14. One side of the family likes sit down so we do that when they are here. The other side not so much but we will sit down together when there are 14 or less otherwise buffet.

We always do one table and family style service. I only do buffet for like baby showers or when there are more than 15 people.

We do buffet for first helpings, and then send the kids to get specific things and pass them around.

We usually only have 6-8, but this year we’re adding some cousins and their significant others. We have a few kids and elderly folks who need help in the mix.

For a larger gathering, do you do buffet style or pass the food at the table? We can make the table big enough to fit 12 at a squeeze, but I may do 8 adults and 4 (kid/tween table).