(photo courtesy: tps12)

So you want to throw a dinner party, huh? Not so fast tough guy. Entertaining your friends ain’t so easy. Luckily, GearCrave is here to help. Here are a few solid tips on how to do it right and win your friends’ approval — but watch out, they may start wanting to come over more often… Continue reading, GearCravers, for our 101 on throwing a dinner party.

The Guest List

First off, you gotta make a good guest list. It’s important to have a good mixture of personalities: your friends in the rave scene probably aren’t going to get attached to the wallflower that came because he couldn’t say no. But don’t get too carried away. If the people invited can’t get along, then you’ve failed completely. Of course you should invite some of your best pals, but mind your lady’s friends, as well. Just please don’t invite that creepy guy from work who sits in the back. The idea here is socializing, not showing off your mom’s chicken cacciatore recipe.

The Food

Speaking of food… what to serve? This is a dinner party, after all, so bear in mind that good food makes for happy people. Using your local sub shop will likely turn out to be a disaster, so take it up a notch. Head over to localcatering.com for a good caterer. They do weddings and bar mitzvahs, but they’ll also come to your house for no occasion at all. You’ll definitely have to open up your wallet, but this way everyone goes home happy. Plus, you get to sit down with the caterer and try all kinds of dishes before you decide the final menu.

The Drinks

You’re going to need drinks. That stale, half-finished 24-pack of Milwaukee’s Best certainly does the trick when you’ve got the guys over to watch the game, but variety is key for the dinner party. People are going to want wine (red and white), beer [a smart choice: go with a solid lager (Samuel Adams Boston Lager is a great one), an amber ale (Rogue’s American amber ale is hearty, yet refreshing) and a stout (New Belgium’s 1554 can’t be beat)] and liquor (pick your favorite vodka, gin, rum, whiskey and tequila, but don’t skip a cordial — ouzo usually gets people celebrating after a meal). And don’t forget the mixers! You caterer should give you the option to provide a bartender. Pony up for one — they liven up the crowd and leave you to entertain, instead of wait on your friends.

(photo courtesy: kthread)

The Location

So, food, drinks and… what else? Have a nice spot picked out — patios with built-in speakers work best during the summer months, but you could also rent a spot. A friend once threw a bash on the rooftop of an old warehouse building. I’d never seen the stars so bright, and there’s nothing like dancing on the top of a building after a fine meal. And speaking of dancing, music is an absolute must. That’s not to say you should go out and rent a band (although that would be a good touch), but make sure you have a good sound system and some carefully picked tunes on your iPod Shuffle.

The Date

Finally, plan a good date. People will tend to skip your event if something grandiose is going on elsewhere. Take a look in your local alternative weekly and see what events are coming up around your area. Schedule your shindig for an off-night (Saturdays are best — skip Fridays in case some people are too pooped after the work week) when there isn’t a big concert down the street or a blockbuster movie opening.

Bear in mind that these points are just a rough sketch of what your dinner party should be like. Make it your own: choose an excellent menu with good friends in a cool spot and the rest is up to you. Just don’t run out of drinks!

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