The Outdoor Dinner Party Guide

Outdoor dinner parties are aspirational events that become logistical nightmares without specific planning. These are the variables you must account for that never appear in the food decision.

Wind is the greatest enemy of an outdoor dinner party. It cools food faster than almost any other factor — a plated dish that stays warm for eight minutes on a covered table will cool to eating temperature in three minutes in a 15mph breeze. It also carries tablecloths off tables, blows candles out, and deposits unwanted debris into open food.

Windbreaks — which can be a fence, a hedge, a temporary screen, or even strategically placed potted plants — are the most important outdoor dining infrastructure decision. Identify the prevailing wind direction before setting up; position the table with the windbreak on the upwind side.

Temperature drop is the second major challenge. Evening temperatures in most climates drop 5–10 degrees Celsius (9–18F) between 7pm and 10pm. For a dinner starting at 7:30pm and ending at 10pm, guests who were comfortable at the start will be cold by dessert. Options: provide blankets (specifically woollen throws, not polyester — they look deliberate rather than afterthought); have an outdoor heat source ready; or plan a dinner that ends before the temperature drops sharply.

The food decisions that survive outdoor conditions:

Serve food that can be eaten warm or at room temperature without degradation. Braised dishes (stews, slow-cooked meats) hold temperature well in a covered pot or insulated dish. Grain salads are better at room temperature than warm. Roasted vegetables are excellent cold; sautéed vegetables are not.

Avoid: soufflés; risotto; fried foods; hollandaise or other emulsion sauces; any dish that requires precise timing from a kitchen appliance that is thirty metres from the table.

Insects are the one variable that food cannot solve. If there are specific insect problems in your area, cover dishes between the serving moment and when guests eat.