I am invited to a dinner party Saturday . Every thing is provided. Was told don’t bring anything .
I will never show up empty handed. What should I bring .? They have way to much wine . And I have no time to make a dish.
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I love it when a guest brings flowers, but some hosts hate them as the host has to stop and find a vase.
A box of nice chocolates is a typical gift when invited to dinner in Sweden. I think it works well here too.
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Like it . The only drawback I’m in a small northern CA town . I don’t think Amazon prime can make it in time .And the snow,the snow . Our big store is rite aid .lol
If you were asked not to bring anything you should respect the hosts’ wishes and not bring anything.
Have you ever had a host (aside from a potluck) actually ask that you bring a housewarming or in this case a “dinner-warming” gift?
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Doesn’t matter. I was taught never come empty handed.
I have thought about bringing a baguette and a nice bottle of olive oil.
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Or how about a wine subscription, like the one below?
That’s right up my alley. At the moment watching Bottle Shock . I have been to chateau montelena .
Could be a subscription to Ridge winery. Always loved their wines . The local grocery in Santa Cruz carries them .Shoppers Corner.
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Clearly your culture with these things is different from mine. I’ve never taken a gift to a dinner party, nor has anyone ever brought one to us. It’s just how I interpret offering hospitality. I wouldnt go so far as to say I’d be offended if a friend brought something, particularly food or drink, but I’d certainly find it a bit odd. It would be an awkward moment. Maybe your host has similar views so, as they’ve specifically said don’t bring anything, I would suggest you respect that request.
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Since they said not to bring anything, I wouldn’t bring anything directly related to dinner.
Wine would have been my choice, or flowers.
But if they already have loads of wine then maybe something for the host to enjoy at a later stage?
Small bottle of grappa? Whisky? Cognac?
Something from the garden, if you have one?
Or just an invite to dinner at your place at a date to be decided?
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When I moved to the States many moons ago, a new acquaintance invited me to dinner. She then asked me to bring a salad. I was flabbergasted.
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Thats interesting…my British friends always brought something to dinners when we were in France. (But most had been in France for years, so may have been environmental)
Usually wine, flowers, or chocolates.
If you take flowers, get them in a vase so they dont have to be dealt with.
A small seasonal potted plant can be nice, too…think poinsettia, Christmas cactus, or small evergreen (rosemary “trees” are usually well received as they can be planted)
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Or they were following the culture of the host?
By the by, it’s some years since I’ve actually been to a non family dinner party. We now meet friends at a restaurant. Much easier - no cooking, washing up etc - and definitely more relaxed. We started that when one of the then group seemed to be wanting to be competitive about their food. Just stopped being a fun evening.
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I get it. I hate arriving empty handed. However, it’s always a host gift not dish (unless asked for potluck). No one should feel obligated to deal with that.
Of course, host gifts are tricky… as stated, some dislike receiving flowers/plants, some might not like fancy chocolates (although when equipped with Neuhaus, I knew no one who complained). A book, a bottle of wine/ booze, a bauble for their tree (if Christian), etc. Those are my go-tos.
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I find that so interesting-- that a hostess gift (not bringing a dish) isn’t custom for you. Do you think that more than cultural (national at least), it could be gendered? (Men of your age not being taught to manage these things, which have often been left to women.)
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This is my go-to if I’m invited to a party and I don’t have a lot of time. I can whip this cake up in no-time. If I don’t have frosting in stock, I’ll make a quick glaze with powdered sugar.
First of, there is no such thing as “too much wine.” If your hosts don’t drink it that night, they’ll drink it some other night. They most certainly won’t be insulted if you bring a bottle.
I cannot emphasize just how lucky I consider myself to have a circle of friends where this is not ever an issue. Bring wine or not - even if my PIC and I end up drinking it there, nobody would bat an eye. It adds to the mix.
If it’s a potluck, of course we bring a dish.
I will say we never bring flowers. We’re not flower people, and I’m not crazy about getting any for the reason mentioned above - having to find a vase & putting them away while usually in the midst of an engaging conversation.
Low-key is the groove.
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Totally agree about flowers, and wine is sometimes confounding, as in “do I serve this or the ones I’d planned?”.
What about some complementary booze? Cassis? A bitter? Digestive? Of course, this also depends on the availability of obscure stuff in your town. Do you have any homemade specialty on hand? Mustard, chutney, jam, cordials? Or a book? Can even be from your library if it is apropos the hosts.
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I don’t think it’s gender related. Mainly couples, the “lead friend” was sometimes male, sometimes female. Possibly age related - maybe younger generations have now adopted American cultural practice in this respect as they have in other ways.
