NEWCITY Lincoln Park – The Modern Woman’s Guide to Hosting A Dinner Party

Hosting friends and loved ones for dinner is an intimate way to show them you love them. Plus it makes for the best memories and even better dinner conversation.

But when you work full time and have a healthy social calendar, hosting parties seem daughnting. Yes, Martha Stewart has fabulous tips, but who has time for that?! Pish. Posh.

For us modern ladies (who like to have it all), I am excited to show you how to prep for dinner in under three hours. Not only will you look fabulous but you’ll actually spend time with your guests (versus bustling in the kitchen). You’ll even knock their socks off.

“That’s impossible” you cry. “It’s true” I exclaim! And here’s how. I’d like to introduce you to NEWCITY – AKA your new best friend and one stop shop for all your dinner party necessities. Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, you can find everything you need. From entrees, to cocktails, to attire, to decor and sweets. It’s a newly constructed area that hosts a plethora of stores, including my favorite grocery store, Mariano’s, a movie theatre, several restaurants and shops.

For your convenience and the purpose of this post, we will only focus on four stores in particular. If you don’t live in Chicago, I’ve peppered in several entertainment tips throughout this post. These stores are found everywhere, so I hope you will stick around!

So here’s how you do it!

FIRST STOP:
Marianos: Appetizers, dinner, flowers and drinks
Why: Their custom cheese boards and pre-made selections are not only beautiful but easy. Also, alllllll the wine and beer you’d ever need. Stop here for a bouquet of flowers, already prepped entrees and other dinner goodies.

1. Go straight to the cheese department for a custom, gourmet cheese tray. Peggy, who is an absolute doll, helped me put together this gorgeous, french inspired charcuterie board. This takes a little bit of time, which is why you must go here first. They also have pre-made cheese boards (which I buy all the time!) if you are in a rush or only hosting a few people. They are so pretty scrumpcious too.  

*tip: Bring your own serving platter for a homemade feel! Mariano’s will arrange your cheese board right on it! Your guests will think you slaved away slicing and arranging the perfect board. Thanks for this fabulous tip Peggy! P.S. Ask for Peggy!

*tip: Before leaving work or home, call ahead and order the gourmet charcuterie board for no wait!

2. Flowers: Next, pop over to the floral department. Pick out your favorites, which can be made into a complimentary arrangement! Stop here second as this will take some time too. The coral peonies, ranunculus and their “exclusive only to Marianos” Piccadoli flowers were a given for me!

*tip: Pick a color scheme (I went with pink) for a cohesive feel.

3. Dinner and more! As your gorgeous cheese tray and flower arrangements are prepped, this is when you get your shopping done. Keep in mind, Mariano’s has sushi, vegetarian dishes, a bakery and more. So plenty of options for any picky dinner guests.

As for me, I went with the Pick 3 Dinner Option! 1 Entree, 2 sides. Not only are the options delicious and pre-made, but they’re healthy and only $6 per person. Say whaaaat?! I went with the Italian chicken, grilled vegetables and blue fingerling potatoes.

*tip: Choose bright colored sides. Not only does it make your meal visually more appetizing, but eating all the colors of the rainbow is good for you.

4. Wrap it up: Head over to the salad bar for the first course. For summer, I suggest their yummy blueberry salad. Afterwards, pop up stairs to stock up on beer, wine, etc. I love bubbly so I picked up a few bottles of Prossecco (exclusive to Mariano’s), some oranges (for centerpieces) and a few other items I needed for the week. Also, don’t forget your gourmet charcuterie tray and bouquets! You are going to die over how beautiful they turned out!

If time is on your side, grab a glass of wine at the bar (you can shop with a drink in hand) and browse the spice section! You can purchase spices in any amount needed versus buying a whole container. A dash of this and a pinch of that!

*tip: The bar is next to the cheese section, so grab a glass of wine before making way to the floral department. You can take it to go while shopping. Multi-tasking at it’s finest.

SECOND STOP
Evereve: Stylish selections, personal stylists and entertainment for the little ones! 
Why: Dress to impress! The hostess with the mostest must look good! My girlfriends first told me about Evereve (which I had never heard of before) and it’s adorable! You will find on trend pieces and familiar brands. The staff is even trained to style, which helps you get in and out in no time.

*tip: Have kids? No problem! Evereve caters to moms with a toy section in the back. Your little one’s will stay occupied while you find the perfect look.

I couldn’t decide between a black lace up and punchy shift dress, so naturally I chose both! You can wear these little numbers anywhere and are slightly forgiving – perfect for eating, drinking and welcoming guests. Thy stylists even helped select statement accessories to match.

THIRD STOP
IT’SUGAR: Every candy from sweet and sour, to chocolate and gummy can be found here.
Why: For a fun and colorful play on dessert! The adults may like this more than the kids.

We picked up pink and white rock candy (to match the flowers) and liquor filled chocolates for an adult “after dinner” dessert! But you could really get wild here. Fill up glass vases with your favorite candies for a sophisticated presentation. The sky is the limit!

*tip: choose colorful candies that match your decor or theme. These will really pop and dress up your table, bar cart and coffee table. 

FOURTH STOP
Z GALLERIE: Stylish home decor and furniture, with cutting edge design and sophisticated, accessible furnishings.
Why: Add some fashion forward flare and serving dishes to your spread. Not only will these pieces wow your guests but will be the topic of conversation! Can someone say ice breaker?

Z Gallerie has been a favorite of mine for years. Not only did I get my first adult couch from here, but I love popping in to see what’s on trend in the interior design world.

Picking up some fresh pieces to liven up the ambiance is a no brainer. Even if it’s something as small as a serving tray or these bottomless champagne flutes. If you really want to make a scene, go with this Metropolitan bar cart or their wild safari plates. With ZGallerie you are bound to create those finishing touches of modern, classy and functional!

tip: take inventory of what you have at home prior. This will help guide your decisions on what’s needed or not needed. No one needs two champagne buckets when you are in dire need of a serving platter. Those plastic ones just don’t cut it these days.

ZGallerie let me set up my dinner party in store (so fun right?!), so I’ll show you all the pretty details below. You will find plenty more tips and tablescape inspiration. This is my favorite part where everything comes together!

DING, DING, DING! IT’S DINNER TIME!

All your “hard work” is about to pay off. Given your menu is pre-made, it’s all fun from here! Once you unpack your groceries, pull out your finest plates, serving dishes and glasses. When else will you use them?! Place your entrees in an oven proof dish and place in a low heat in your oven. Any cold dishes can be transferred into their respective platters/bowls and popped in the fridge.

Pour yourself a glass of bubbly. Now it’s time to style!

tip: Create a welcome area where guests can immediately pour themselves a drink and nibble on some munchies. This is where that custom cheese board comes in handy! I created a bubbly station and kept the bar cart close by.

I know we already talked about the stemless champagne glasses, but can we look at them again?! A statement piece with a function. My kind of party.

tip: rock candy (or any type of sugar for that matter), will make sparkling wines extra bubbly! Sugar cubes work well too.

We placed the rock candy in the champagne flutes prior to keep the pink color palette throughout every detail.

tip: style your table with different heights to add dimension. This is what makes your guests say “WOW!”. Candles, vases, pedestal and cake plates are easy go to’s and most likely already in your home.

We incorporated these tall gold vases and different height candles through the center of the table. We also layered plates and chargers to make our guests feel fancy.

tip: use nature to your advantage for easy place setting. Oranges were a perfect compliment to the safari themed china. However lemons, flowers, leaves, limes and baby pineapples would be just as charming!

*tip: Don’t forget to wheel your bar cart to the table! This way guests can help themselves to refills in between courses. We also displayed our liquor chocolates for a handy dessert.

We plated the entrees in the kitchen and brought the prepared plates to each guest. Ask your better half or a close friend to help you! See how your colorful selections came out deliciously? The salad and bread we kept family style, so guests could get started while we prepared the entrees.

*tip: Place the remaining sides and entrees in beautiful dishes. Since you already plated dinner, your serving dishes will be small and leave more elbow room. Also, guests can serve themselves seconds as needed and you can enjoy the company!

Enjoy your friends and have fun! Save the dishes and clean up for the next morning (if you can). There’s nothing worst when your company can’t enjoy YOU. I promise your friends will be talking about your party for days.

Cheers!

*last tip! If you are type A and cannot save clean up for the next morning, ask your guests to help you carry the dishes into the kitchen. This will take significantly less time versus you doing it all yourself. I promise, they won’t mind! Also, hire a cleaning service to come the next day! This will put your cleaning woes to ease. Bon appetite!

When’s the last time you hosted a dinner party? Do you make everything from scratch or do you  do it the modern way? One time we hired a chef (who is now the chef at Maple & Ash!) to come to our home and it was fabulous!

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