It was great to toast the new dining set, and all the future parties that will happen around it. I sat at the head of the table and realized for the first time why the hostess sits there (it’s easier to see if anyone’s glass needs filling). The King Ranch chicken was a hit and I sent people home with the leftovers. My SUPER guests all helped with the dishes, so I was able to go to bed at 1am, and slept like a baby. It was really fun, and I hope to throw many more.
For all who are contemplating a formal dining set, they are WORTH HAVING! Even a single girl like me, who has never experienced a gift registry, can throw a swell dinner party! 6 years ago
The dining set is all put together and looks great (and HUGE!) I am throwing a dinner for 9 on Saturday night (The table can actually seat 10, but I only have 9 chairs in my apartment). Guests are mostly people who have been promised dinner for some time, and were beginning to lose faith in me! Will finally (hopefully) satisfy them. The menu is a tex-mex extravaganza starring King Ranch Chicken, which I’ve never made before, so it’s a slight risk, but that seemed appropriate for an inaugural? If it turns out badly, I’ll have red-beans and rice as a back up. And plenty of guacamole! This will be the most people I have ever cooked a sit-down meal for. 6 years ago
I bought a dining room set! It’s a danish modern looking set with a dropleaf table and six very comfortable sturdy chairs that I found in a used furniture store in Pittsfield, MA. Now, all I have to do is get it home and put it back together again (Had to remove all the screws and dissasemble to fit it into my station wagone. Thinking about my potentional menu for next weekend…..hmmmm…. 7 years ago
...and it wan’t awful. It was a 4-year old set from Crate and Barrel. The seller, a spoiled NYU student, was trying to sell me hard:
Me: “The leg seems to be loose?”
Her: “No. It’s in excellent condition. I don’t notice that.”
She was moving to “study in Europe”. I couldn’t help but notice that her parents had financed a four year stay in a high rise West Village one-bedroom (Must be at least $3000 a month!). While I looked at the dining set, her college buddies were getting high on the couch and making fun of me in foreign languages (is it so shameful to shop for used furniture?). She asked me where I lived, and when I told her, she gave me a blank look—like she had never heard of Queens. I did not want to give her my $500.00. Will keep looking. 7 years ago
...I was in yoga class this morning, and, during the meditation, all I could think about was dining room sets. I should stop worrying about the money and just buy one already. I think the great Yogi in the sky wants me to have one. My dining room set will be a force for good. 7 years ago
So far, I am limited to five people at dinner, because my table is so small. I want to serve at least 8 people, and possibly 10. Must stop dreaming about the Pottery Barn sets—TOO EXPENSIVE, and scan Craig’s List more regularly. When I get the set, I might roast a fresh ham from this great recipe that was in the Times at Easter. 7 years ago
