A Coral Gables collaboration

The art of entertaining

Two recipes for hosting this season: a table from the Contempo Linens studio and a crostini bar from the Inspired Events kitchen.

Contempo Linen & Event RentalsInspired Events Miami

As seen in Coral Gables Magazine

Dining room at Coral Gables Country Club set with long tables in Marcella taupe and Crossback chairs under arched windows

From the Contempo Linens studio

The table recipe

Every table starts with the tablecloth. It covers more of the table than anything else and it's the first thing guests see, so it sets the color and the mood for whatever goes on top. This is the table we set at Coral Gables Country Club in June, one layer at a time.

Ingredients

For one long table

Method

  1. Long tables dressed to the floor in Marcella taupe, an ivory linen with cream cord embroidery of blossoms on vines

    Step 1

    Lay the tablecloth

    Start here, because everything else sits on it. Let it fall all the way to the floor, since a short cloth makes a table look unfinished. Marcella's 132-inch round reaches the floor on a 72-inch table, and the taupe cord embroidery gives you pattern without fighting the plates.

    In this photo

  2. Honey Rattan charger on the Marcella tablecloth with a folded midnight blue napkin and silver flatware

    Step 2

    Set a charger at every seat

    The charger frames each place and fills the space between guests, so the table looks full before any food comes out. Woven rattan on an embroidered cloth keeps the look relaxed.

    In this photo

  3. A row of Honey Rattan chargers down a long table, each with a midnight blue Expo napkin

    Step 3

    Lay the napkin across it

    Fold it into a flat band and set it over the charger. The napkin is the easiest place to bring in color, and one deep blue napkin at every seat carries it down the whole table.

    In this photo

  4. Crystal Cut wine glasses and flutes beside blue Crystal Cut water glasses, menus and a cordless lamp

    Step 4

    Add the glassware

    Water, wine and champagne go above the knife. A blue water glass picks up the napkin color, and the cut crystal catches the candlelight.

    In this photo

  5. Crossback chairs pulled up to a long table under an arched window at Coral Gables Country Club

    Step 5

    Bring in the chairs, then the light

    Crossback chairs suit a textured table like this one. Keep the flowers low so people can see each other across the table. For light, set cordless lamps or candles down the middle, because overhead light flattens a table.

    In this photo

  6. Round grazing table in a floor-length midnight blue Expo cloth, set with breads, cheeses and blue hydrangeas

    Step 6

    Dress the food table too

    The buffet or grazing table is usually the first place guests walk up to. Give it a floor-length cloth in a deeper color than the dining tables and the food stands out against it. That's where the crostini bar goes.

    In this photo

Contempo Linen & Event Rentals

Set this table for your event

Every tablecloth, charger and glass in this recipe is in our catalog, and you can see them in person at our Doral showroom. If you already have colors or a guest count in mind, bring those. If not, that's fine too, we can start from scratch.

Book a showroom visitBrowse the catalog

Or call us at 305-592-5528

From the Inspired Events kitchen

The crostini bar

Guests build their own bites, and nearly all of it can be done before the doorbell rings.

The full Inspired Events recipe card is on its way to this page. Until then, here is how the bar comes together.

Grazing table with tiered boards of focaccia, crackers and fruit beside blue hydrangeasTiered wooden risers of bread squares with a menu card, flowers and a bowl of tomato

Ingredients

For the toasts

  • A baguette
  • Olive oil
  • Flaky salt
  • A garlic clove

Spreads pick two or three

  • Whipped ricotta with lemon zest
  • Goat cheese
  • Fig jam
  • Olive tapenade

Toppings pick three or four

  • Prosciutto
  • Roasted cherry tomatoes
  • Sliced pears
  • Baby arugula
  • Marinated artichokes

To finish set out all of them

  • Honey for drizzling
  • Aged balsamic
  • Cracked pepper
  • Torn basil

Method

  1. Slice the baguette on a slight angle, about half an inch thick.
  2. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  3. Bake on a sheet pan at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges turn golden.
  4. Rub each warm toast once with the cut side of the garlic clove.
  5. Make them up to a day ahead and keep them in an airtight container.

Setting it out

  • Plan on four or five crostini per guest for a cocktail hour.
  • Set the line in the order guests build: toasts, then spreads, toppings, and finishes last.
  • Give every bowl its own small spoon or tongs, and a card naming what's in it.
  • Put out half of everything and refill from the kitchen, so the table looks full all night.

Inspired Events Miami

Or let Inspired Events make it

Inspired Events can set up and run the bar for you, along with the rest of the menu. They've catered weddings and corporate events in Miami since 2005.

Plan your menuVisit Inspired Events

Or call Maggie at 305-421-6335

Start planning

Plan it with us