Has anyone ever heard of a progressive dinner party? A party where you host dinner courses at different homes

Question

How do you go about setting this up?

One more important thing: It is a neighborhood party. Do you clean up the mess (with guests there) and before you leave for the next course or leave it until the party is over?

Thank you for your answers

Answer 1

Yes, they showed this on an episode of Rachael Ray.

1. The homes have to be close together within walking or short drive distance.

2. Then you assign each house a couse. This is best done buy starting with one house and giving them the appitizer and then the house closest to them the salad and so on.

3. Next have every one gather at the appitizer course house. and progesse

Answer 2

I did this in highschool. Basically you get a group of friends and pick which meal will be at which person's house. Set a time limit for each meal so that way it doesn't last all night (unless you want it to) In highschool we started off at one person's house with appetizers, once everyone was done (about an hour( we drove to the second house for the main course which was already prepared because someone's mom had cooked it. After we ate dinner we then piled in the cars again to go to the final house for dessert. It really just depends on how many courses you wanna have. Also, if no one is going to have the meals prepared such as the main course, you may want to pick something quick and easy to make like tacos or spaghetti, that way you guys arent't sitting there starving. It was really fun when we did it about 7 years ago, so have fun!

Answer 3

I want to describe it as a potluck in reverse but that wouldn't exactly be correct. Musical houses with food?

These progressive dinners began in the fifties, when people moved to the suburbs, into cul de sacs, where all the houses faced eachother and created insulated little communities of a half dozen families, perfect for this type of entertaining. Now, since women don't stay at home all day and most of us don't know our neighbors except superficially, I would think these dinners would be best enjoyed in the city, amongst people who live in the same building or on the same floor, as nobody would (at least I wouldn't) feel comfortable leaving a house for any amount of time, with the oven still on, in order to participate in all the courses at other houses.

The entree courses would be tricky. Timing is everything and herding all your guest from place to place and keeping on a schedule, sounds too much like work to me.

you could always prepare a course in advance and heat it up when everyone gets to your house but, really, cooking means you have to be in the kitchen and entertaining your friends should be fun, not a sporting event.

Answer 4

A long time ago. We lived in a co-op of townhouses and we did the progressive dinner.

Get a list of what you would like each person to do (which course) then call them and tell them what you have in mind - or ask them which they would like to do. Tell them the time and schedule with phone numbers, etc in case they want to trade off with each other, etc. (Also good for baby sitters - even tho there are now cell phones in use by almost everyone.)

The first house has cocktails, the second the salad, the third the meat with vegs, the fourth dessert and coffee, the fifth has after dinner drinks, etc. This is best done on a weekend as it could run pretty late by the time you finish.

It is fun.

Answer 5

Everyone picks a course and you go t different houses for those courses. Starters, apps soups etc, mains, and dessert & coffee or just dessert, next house does liquers and coffees.
They are great, kinda like a roving potluck dinner and you clean up after you get home. You eat 1 course move on to the next and try to complete a full course dinner. I love em and it can be done out of your neighbour hood but more fun when you can walk from 1 house to the next

Answer 6

No I have'nt,but it sounds like you would need to bring a couple friends in on this with.It just seems to much for a single person to plan.You can also ask the friends if they would'nt mind hosting the dinners at there houseThat way you all could get together and cook different meals and swamp them.I would try alot of cold things first that you can put in the fridge just to give you a head start.Everything that's hot I would prepare last.Goodluck

Answer 7

Each home is the host to a different course: appetizers, soup/salad, main course and then dessert. You can also have more than one main course (split the group in half) if you want.
Each home gets to choose what they serve or you can come up with a theme for the entire meal.
Good Luck! It's fun!

Answer 8

That I'm never going to host another dinner party.

Answer 9

It depends on how many hosts you have. Divide the menu by house. Smith gets to make the appetizers, Jones gets to make drinks, Thompson gets to make the entree, Stein's make desserts, and so on. You all meet at your place or a designated place (maybe that could be for the drink) and then go to other houses. When the hosts are done with their part they can join in in following you.

At least that's how I've known it.

Answer 10

You get your friends together and work out who will cook each course.
Prepare as much as possible before hand so when you get to your turn it will take only a little time to finish.

They were very popular years ago, when we didn't worry about drink driving.
You would have to designate several drivers to move you from home to home if you intend to have a few at each house.