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The holiday season is upon us. Between holiday shopping, end of the year work craziness, preparing for relatives’ arrivals, and taking care of regular business, we can all get a little stressed out. I know that when I am tried and stressed out, I am not always on my best behavior as a guest at a holiday party. The wine is for everybody, not just myself. Anyway, before you hit up your weekend festivities (or any of the rest of the parties bound to happen between now and January 1), I thought it would be helpful to create fun dos and don’ts list to help you be the perfect party guest.

I’m going to skip the super obvious like DON’T lose control due to over indulgence of eggnog and DO dress appropriately.

To be the perfect holiday party guest …

DO:

1. Respond to the invite: Even if you can’t make the party, please don’t skip the RSVP. A while ago I wrote about what it takes to throw a dinner party and the number of attendees is pretty important. Your host/hostess needs to know how much food and beverage they need to keep everybody comfortable. It’s a pretty simple task and will only take you two seconds to either click “going” or “not going,” make a phone call, or send an email. Make sure you keep your host/hostess updated if your plans change too.
2. Mingle: We all want to spend time with those we know and love this time of year, and I don’t want you to ignore your friends at the party, but it’s nice to get to know new people too! Plus, this is a big favor to the person who threw the party so he/she doesn’t have to worry so much about whether or not a guest is having a good time.
3. Offer to bring something: Usually, unless you’re going to a potluck, your host will decline your offer to bring anything. But it’s a nice gesture and will be appreciated. I like to bring a bottle of wine or something of the sort regardless of if I’m asked just as a token of appreciation.
4. Thank your host: I am aware that the days of hand written thank you notes (aside from after a wedding) are long gone, but they shouldn’t be. Don’t you love getting mail? I do. A quick thank you goes a long way. It doesn’t even need to be a hand written card! A thank you on your way out, followed by an email or text the next day is always appreciated.

DON’T:

1. Cause more work: If you are asked to contribute to the spread, or if you decide to do so just for fun, don’t bring anything that requires a ton of prep work or will take up a lot of space in the kitchen. You don’t want to create more work on top of the large amount of work that it already takes to throw a party and prepare food for a bunch of people. Stick with simple things that you can prepare at home and then serve easily.
2. Show up too early: This may seem like it goes against you better judgment, but don’t show up to the party early OR right on time. Early is a definite no-no but right on time is still added stress for the hostess who is probably running around making last minute final touches. Honestly, it’s better to show up about 15 minutes late.
3. Leave without a proper goodbye: You don’t need to spend an hour saying goodbye to every single person at the party, but make sure that if you leave early, you at least say goodbye to the person who threw the party! They took the time to invite you, plan, and prepare a lovely evening so the least you could do is thank them and say goodbye at the end of the night.

‘Tis the season to be jolly … and busy, stressed, and exhausted. But don’t let those things hinder your party personal. Enjoy the season and have fun!

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

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