As much as I love arranging flowers and creating a beautiful tabletop, my love of entertaining actually began under the table—specifically, hiding under a long farmhouse table, smelling gorgeous garlic and amazing food while I collected wine corks and eavesdropped on grownups’ lively dinner conversations. Every August when I was young, my parents attended big dinner parties with friends, mostly from Europe, and I lived for those evenings around—or rather, under—the table, listening to forks clink and stories of people living in far-off places.
The Menu
Main Course
Spiced Chicken with Rosemary
Side Dishes
Green Beans with Garlic and Sliced Almonds
Farmers’ Market Carrots, Potatoes, and Turnips
Desserts
Pear Tarte Tatin
Chocolate-Caramel Toffee Mousse
Croquembouche
Now my husband and I enjoy re-creating that sort of enchantment for our friends and family in our Pacific Heights flat. We moved here from a larger house and thought this would be a short-term transition, but we’ve come to love the convenient location, water view, and the older, very open, European feel that flows well for entertaining. We both grew up in the Bay Area—he’s Italian, one of eight siblings in a large, fourth-generation San Franciscan family—so family is a big deal, as is food. Even when it’s just us and our two daughters, I still set a formal table, and we make a full dinner with several courses. And I always, always light the candles. I think the magic comes from celebrating those little things. Beautiful aesthetics make me happy and, I believe, elevate everyone’s mood. We linger at the table longer, have discussions...the kids might even stay off their phones. My mother-in-law was an incredibly skilled hostess who formally entertained well into her 90s. The biggest tip she gave me was to always set the table the night before.
More From Veranda
As an artist and designer, someone who delights in arrangements of jewels and toils over their settings, I see beautiful parallels. Perhaps that’s why the table is my favorite part. It sets the theme for everything else, inspiring the menu and whatever drinks my mixologist husband dreams up behind our fun little bar. I’m a fan of tablecloths, mainly because we’re often designing or doing art projects on the dinner table, and a simple flax linen not only covers a well-used artisan’s table but also juxtaposes nicely with a gilded table. And flowers are always my starting point, especially roses in the summer. My mother grows gorgeous roses and collects antiques, so I come by my love for these naturally. From this exposure came an affinity for Georgian and Regency antiques and—along with being raised Byzantine Catholic—may be why I gravitate to the old-world, jewel-toned aesthetic evident in my jewelry designs.
Whether it’s a circa-1774 engraved silver platter, an 18th- century Venetian console, or Georgian porcelain, I’m a big believer that things are meant to be used, and why not? Our cat, Leo, who invariably jumps on the table as I’m setting it, agrees. I see myself as the lucky conservator of these pieces, enjoying them until their next owner comes along. Inviting friends to the table to enjoy them too just adds to their beauty, their story.
VERANDA This article originally appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of VERANDA.
VERANDA This article originally appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of VERANDA.
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of VERANDA. Photography by Nicole Hill Gerulat; produced by Rachael Burrow; styling by Bianca Sotelo.
