9 Entertaining Experts Offer Brilliant Advice for Hosting a Fabulous Holiday Gathering This Year

The two-time James Beard Award winning chef and founder of the wildly popular Saint Stephen in Nashville has every right to be hosted for once during the holidays, especially when he keeps his restaurant open for Thanksgiving. However, he loves helping his loved ones gather to put together a simple yet elegant holiday feast centered around family, great wine, and watching the Detroit Lions.

"The best tips for Thanksgiving that I’ve learned from being a chef are to prep the long lead time items the day before, drink better wine than you are cooking with, and take your time," says Cooper.

The chef likes to set a traditional Thanksgiving table with a decanted Burgundy, Bordeaux, and spiced cider, then add lots of fall flower arrangements that have been placed into carved pumpkins. He also likes to make sure there is a fun and festive drink for the kids, like a cranberry lemonade.

Some favorite ingredients Cooper likes to keep on hand to elevate classic holiday dishes include a garum, or fermented seasoning sauce, made from poultry for the world's best gravy and Perigord black truffles to shave onto rice or potatoes. He also can't live without flakey Pacifc sea salt that is the perfect finishing touch to just about anything he's serving up for the holidays.

Nashville-based chef Maneet Chauhan is the founder of several popular dining spots and her holiday table is always a marriage of her Indian roots and new American traditions, reminding us of the importance of heritage and family when celebrating.

"My Thanksgiving meal is pretty much a take on traditional Thanksgiving with an Indian twist. For example, my menu typically consists of tandoori turkey, served with an Indian-inspired cranberry chutney on the side with shakarkandi chaat (sweet potato chaat), green beans with coconut, chestnut naan, pumpkin raita, Indian spiced mac and cheese and carrot halwa pie." Her family also opts for watching favorite Bollywood movies over NFL games on Thanksgiving.

When it comes to her holiday table, her colorful dishes are the stars of the scene, but Chauhan loves to bring in some traditional elements like plenty of flowers and vases filled with the holidays' most festive plantings and floating candles. We loved her genius tip for creating one crowd-pleasing drink for the night's festivities that can be jazzed up with one's booze of choice.

"Basically, I make a cocktail that can be made for adults and kids alike," says Chauhan. "I make ice cubes and freeze them with light sugar syrup and spices in it—usually pumpkin spice—and when I freeze it, I put anise and cranberry and rosemary in them. The liquid part is a pumpkin spice horchata, served for the kids and for the adults, I add a generous amount of their choice of bourbon or vanilla vodka."

Chauhan also notes the importance of having plenty of containers on hand that can be reheated, so you can throw any prepped dishes back into the oven for a few minutes before guests arrive with ease. They're also great for serving up leftovers in.

The chef and founder of Jackson, Mississippi hotspot Elvie's Restaurant is heavily inspired by Southern culinary traditions (particularly around the Gulf States), but isn't a Thanksgiving purist. He says last year's pandemic Thanksgiving was a fancy grilled cheese bar and this year he's dreaming of quail and dumplings.

But for those who like to stick to tradition, he advises never hosting Thanksgiving again without an electric carving knife. He says this is a game-changer for turkey, especially if you don't have great knives or always forget to get them sharpened.

While he loves having a break from the kitchen on holidays, Evans has a knack for hosting and says that making it a group effort is the perfect way to gather people around the table without all the stress. One way to ensure your gathering is less like a potluck and more of a formal, thoughtful spread is to create a spreadsheet with specific where everyone can fill out what they will bring. You can also ask loved ones to bring specific dishes that you love or you know they love to make.

When it comes to the drinks, Evans likes to have chilled sparkling grape juice for the kids to make things festive. Apple cider mimosas are a fun way to kick off the day for the adults, and a newly released Beaujolais is always served at the dinner table.

For Charleston-based restauranteur and Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. founder Brooks Reitz, Thanksgiving is more about gathering the family and less about recreating the same traditional dishes year after year. Jazz on the speakers, bourbon over ice, and a roaring fire are the things that make a family holiday celebration special for him. However, creating a beautiful but inviting table is an important element as well.

"I like a nice tablecloth and the gingham offerings from Heather Taylor Home are quite nice," says Reitz. "There's always a large decorative squash—or five—that my wife chooses, and for serving I like an earthy palate: big wooden bowls, pewter plates, handmade plates, and ceramics. It makes the table feel cozy and classic."

Like Chauhan, Reitz also stressed the importance of having storage containers a plenty for holiday hosting, and he especially likes the Cambro brand. He also loves having an ultra-versatile Kunz Spoon in his arsenal so all your spoons won't end up in the dishwasher come dinner time.

When it comes to the food, Reitz likes to serve up lighter, vegetable-forward dishes with his turkey and offers a variety of drinks for whatever strikes his guests's fancies.

"For wines I am looking at really light, fresh red wines like Beaujolais or Frappato because they play really well with turkey," he says. "For white wine I love something with a little more richness—Chenin Blanc is quite nice. We keep cocktails really easy: Bourbon mostly, on ice, or with seltzer."

He also likes to make sure there are exciting choices for non-drinkers like beers from Athletic Brewing Co. (a favorite is the Free Wave IPA) and a simple mix of apple juice and sparkling water over ice for any kiddos.

New York- City-based interior designer Joy Moyler is more than just a designer of beautiful interiors—she knows how to design a spectacular and stunning party. In a recent interview, Moyler shared with us that her late parents's at-home gatherings inspire her own soirees she hosts with photographer husband Nick, and that's especially true during the holidays.

"Just like my parents always had their LPs spinning, we build a list that reflects our musical influences and tastes," says Moyler in the November/December 2021 issue of VERANDA. "Nick is the jazz man, and I’m the R&B girl. I love Frank Sinatra and Mel Tormé, but I also love Usher and Beyoncé. We group songs that allow people to have conversations for a while and then music for people to dance to; it’s a balance of something sultry and then what gets you on your feet—but then back to moody so you can catch your breath. Think of full-out salsa for 30 minutes straight, then back to Ella Fitzgerald."

Moyler has two rules for every party she hosts: making sure she's set the party up so she can actually enjoy herself and get quality time with her guests and that she never lets herself go to bed with a dirty kitchen.

"That means the next day is calm. We can eat a breakfast of leftovers, or heat up the waffle iron, and rehash all the funny things that happened," she says.

Learn more about Moyler's holiday hosting tips, plus, her internationally inspired holiday menu for this year's celebrations, here.