Ideas for your next dinner party from Australian fashion people
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CROSER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLIE HAWKS
WORDS BY EMILY HOLGATE
“I see tablescaping as an act of love for your friends. It’s impossible not to feel special when you walk into a home and see the table thoughtfully decorated.”
As I’ve adjourned from my early to mid-twenties, late nights at the club have been traded for intimate dinner parties with friends or family. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a 2am boogie and definitely make the most of Melbourne’s buzzing post-pandemic nightlife.
But there’s also nothing like the wholesome vibes of drinking wine in your living room, blasting your favourite tunes and putting on a delicious spread for your nearest and dearest. For me, bubbly on arrival is a must. I wouldn’t say I’m a wine snob, but I enjoy a glass or two enough to know that a quality Aussie vino is likely to come from the picturesque wine regions of South Australia.
Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section.
Take Croser’s sparkling, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser handcrafted in the Adelaide Hills. And it wouldn’t be a dinner party without a cheese or charcuterie board to start, and plenty of free-flowing pinot with the main course. Honestly, anything that’s easy to pull together is a win for me.
As we head closer to summer (ultimate dinner party season), I sought more inspiration for my next soiree from some of the best in the fashion biz. Here’s what they had to say.
Giulia Brugliera, Fashion Journal’s Managing Editor
As you may have guessed from my name, I’m of Italian heritage and a big believer there’s no better theme for a dinner party. It’s simple, no-stress food that looks beautiful and leads to full bellies. I’ve just ordered a beautiful ceramic platter from Alex and Trahanas and plan to use this as a centrepiece for my next dinner party. I’ll serve up two bountiful pastas using recipes from my favourite restaurant in Melbourne, Tipo 00 (you can find my favourite recipe here) with an easy, mixed-leaf side salad to accompany mains. If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll use radicchio, fennel and orange instead.
Dinner in Italy always starts with aperitivo, and always features food that’s simple but effective. I’ll throw some bocconcini, prosciutto, cantaloupe, Sicilian olives and focaccia on a wooden board, and give everything a drizzle of good-quality olive oil. Aperitivo isn’t complete without a spritz, and my recent favourite concoction uses limoncello, lemon thyme and Croser sparkling. For added authenticity, I liked to serve wine out of tumblers (the way my nonni would drink it), and play ‘Italian Cooking Music’, which you can find on Spotify here.
Ruby Staley, journalist and content creator
There’s nothing I like more than attending a great dinner party, but throwing my own has the tendency to send me into a stress frenzy. What I’ve found reduces my entertaining anxiety is revolving my dinner party around Pasta Mama’s Pasta Club box drops. My lovely housemate got me onto these delish at-home cooking experiences curated by Pasta Mama herself and we’ve had the best time creating and devouring them at our place. Although the seasonal food packs and accompanying how-to recipes are only sold a few times a year (sign up for updates here), they always please any kind of crowd from carnivore to veggie.
Typically including a scrumptious mix of fresh salads and starters, rich pasta (obvs) and delectable desserts, it’s all tailored for easy making and enjoyable eating. She also includes gorgeous fresh flowers for table decoration and also curates the perfect Spotify playlist to boogie to while you’re chopping, munching and washing up, so it’s basically all sorted for you! If waiting for the next drop isn’t a possibility, check out some of her previous creations for inspiration to recreate a glorious and intimate Italian feast from home. Fresh ingredients are the key, and I always like to have a couple of bottles of Croser’s best sparkling on hand too.
Sabina McKenna, writer and curator
Honestly, we will take any excuse for a dinner party in our circle of friends, but lately, we have been planning monthly dinners with a themed menu. Our last dinner was Roman-themed which is everything you’d expect from Italian food but with unusual things like herbed wine, cheesecake rolled into balls and raw leek salad.
The best thing we made was the suppli, which is a roman version of arancini made with bolognese in the rice (we made a veg version with Napoli sauce). The leek salad was fab too! Haitian, Japanese and Nigerian food is on our list to do next.
Marisa Suen, stylist
I suck at cooking (and really have no interest) but I love a dinner party. I love hosting a potluck, as all my friends are incredible cooks and I’ll set the scene for the vibes. I am actually in the process of re-doing my dining area and recently purchased a new vase from Slip City Ceramics, a local ceramicist, as a centrepiece for my table. Also, I got a new candle holder from Amsterdam-based ceramicist Alex Zeta.
If I am cooking though (for a small group), my go-to is tacos as it’s super easy and fault-proof and each person can choose which fillings they want themselves according to their dietary requirements. Everyone wins!
Ella Taverner, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Manager
Now that the weather is starting to warm up, I can’t wait to finally host some cute dinner parties in the backyard. We recently bought an air fryer which has honestly been a game-changer when it comes to hosting. I made this sesame cauliflower not long ago which was both delicious and ridiculously easy, and something I’ll definitely be whipping up when we have guests around.
I find share plates are the way to go when it comes to fuss-free hosting, and love a mix of fresh and fried Asian food. I recently picked up some super sweet Fazeek champagne coupes which I think will pair nicely with a bottle of Croser sparkling rosé, along with this fun scalloped napkin set from In The Round House.
Jess Brohier, Alt-House Creative Director
Growing up with a large extended family, I’ve always been a sucker for large, loud dinner parties. My next dinner would involve a long table, dressed with beautiful foraged flowers and branches, a few hand-chosen and brightly coloured flowers, sourced from either the local flower shop or my good friend Kayla who usually has a few lying around.
I would have it outside and ask my good friend Alex, who is exceptional at lighting design, to help decorate the space for the transition from evening into night – usually a string of fairy lights across the yard and spiralling up into a tree, and a few coloured par cans scattered here and there. Lighting and ambience are key for these kinds of things!
We’ll be drinking margaritas (my favourite summer drink), and just to keep it on theme I’ll probably have a Mexican dinner! But not typical tex mex, more so LA food truck style with a twist and a few additions. I’ll make a huge delicious guac and traditional tortilla chips from La Tortilleria. My go-to taco has been chorizo, black bean and potato lately, also a smokey chipotle mushroom option, served with feta and coriander, as well as classic zucchini.
There’s also a crack-corn salsa I learnt some time ago from a friend, which has charred corn kernels with paprika, combined with feta, a little bit of mayo, pepper, salt, olive oil and coriander. I’ll also make a classic pico de gallo, which is just white onion, cherry tomato, coriander, jalapeno, lime and salt.
Grace Corby, Art Garments owner and curator
Since entering my 30s, dinner parties have become my favourite social activity. I have collected a silly amount of vintage ceramic serving ware and glassware and I’ll find any excuse to mobilise them. I see tablescaping as an act of love for your friends. It’s impossible not to feel special when you walk into a home and see the table thoughtfully decorated. Even just a simple colour scheme, a bunch of flowers, some foraged greenery, dinner candles, decorative produce – it doesn’t have to be elaborate, just intentional.
My husband Josh and I love to entertain. Usually, we mastermind a dinner party theme and menu together. He is the head chef and I am the deputy and decorator. After a lot of hosting experience, we’ve learned it’s best to opt for recipes that can be prepared largely in advance, so you can spend more time with your guests. A go-to for us is this amazing slow-cooked Oaxacan lamb barbacoa recipe. It HAS to be teamed with real corn tortillas and fresh salsa verde and only needs simple accompaniments like lime-cured white onions and shredded cabbage.
You can use the marinade for potatoes too as an alternative filling for vegetarian guests. We usually start the evening with a huge homemade guac and margaritas. To finish, you can go light or lush: we love chilli and lime watermelon or a basque cheesecake. For the soundtrack, we love a bit of ambient Mexican guitar.
To discover Croser’s sparkling collection, head here.
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