Greek Dinner Party

My Greek dinner party plans started when H.H. and I were putting together our May 2019 trip to Europe.  One of the stops on our 9 day French Riviera/Dalmation Coast cruise was Corfu, Greece, so of course I started doing my trip research right where I always do, with what I’m going to eat along the way!

After pouring through copious travel guides, trip adviser, and all my relevant back issues of Travel & Leisure, I was hankering for some fabulous Greek food.  I wasn’t going to wait until May to have some, so when two old college friends decided to come stay for a long weekend , I thought, dinner party, Greek style!

I rarely do anything half-way, so this party starts with Flaming Saganaki Cheese and Ouzo, and doesn’t end until the Turkish coffee is poured from its specialty copper pot and the Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie) is served.  An incredible ending for a very special evening.

GREEK THEMED TABLESCAPE

I started with a silvery light blue, white and green color scheme, kept the centerpiece simple and place setting clean and polished.  Each guest has their own menu and handcrafted polymer clay clove-hitch knot napkin ring.  When I was pulling together the tablescape, I realized I didn’t have any napkin rings that would work with the theme, so I decided to make some myself.  

The centerpiece is an urn-style piece filled with homemade moss-covered balls. (I’m obsessed with the moss that grows on the mountain where we live!)  

Simple white dishes with a raised-dot design paired with silver chargers in a patina finish gave the table the crisp look I was after.  When I was done setting the table, I threw a few handfuls of darker blue gems around the centerpiece to “finish” the look. Simple and elegant, check!

You can find all the specifics in my Greek Dinner Party Signature Elements post where I give you the down and dirty on all my decor ideas.

The menu is steeped in traditional Mediterranean flavors of the Greek Isles and consists of:

• Flaming Saganaki Cheese with Toasts 
• Greek Keftedes with Tangy Yogurt Cucumber Salad
• Athena’s Greek Baked Chicken
• Salt & Vinegar Crispy Potatoes
• Greek Custard Pie (Galaktoboureko)
• Turkish Coffee
• Take-Home Favor:  Greek Butter Cookies in theme packaging  

Now let’s talk Ouzo!  Clear and silky, with a distinct licorice flavor, it’s a potent drink at about a 40% alcohol content, depending on the brand.  It’s traditionally served cold, but neat, not with ice added. Some Greeks dilute the ouzo with water which makes it get cloudy, but it is rarely, if ever served with ice.  In Greece one drinks their Ouzo at little bars called ouzeries, which are very casual and specialize in many different types of ouzo and usually serve a lovely selection of appetizers called mezethes.

You’ll find all the recipes to throw this Greek Dinner Party in the Foodietown section of the main menu. 

Some of you know that I’ve been catering professionally for decades and I’ve made it my mission here at IFAFL to share my expertise and experience.  In that light, I created a FREE 11-PAGE COMPREHENSIVE PARTY PLANNER designed especially for my Greek Dinner Party and its menu!  

I want you to feel completely comfortable throwing dinner parties in your home and my  Greek Dinner Party Planner PDF  is a fabulous way to get started with this very gathering.  Lets break out the Ouzo and party, shall we?

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