French Dinner Party

• Invitations: The invitation to your French themed dinner party will give guests an immediate impression of what is to come later. Select dinner party invitations that are elegant and sophisticated for a French flair. You'll find a beautiful collection of designs in Punchbowl's Digital Invitation Studio.

• Menu: The French dinner party menu is the main source of enjoyment for the evening. It is also one of the ways guests will rate the success of the party. Superb appetizers, a stunning main course, and a delicious dessert can and should lead to major brownie points!
  • Appetizers: For a hot appetizer, serve pea and potato soup to guests. For a cold appetizer, serve a salad with berries and almonds with a vinaigrette dressing.
  • Main Course: For dinner serve herb roasted chicken with bean risotto. Another option is cod with a side of pommes frites or sautéed spinach with parmesan. In the winter months, consider a traditional French dish like cassoulet. 
  • Dessert: For a tasty treat to top off a delicious meal, serve traditional crepes for dessert. Offer a variety of fillings such as melted chocolate, bananas, and other fruit. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of the crepes and sprinkle some powdered sugar. Consider hiring a caterer to make the crepes one-by-one for guests, based on their individual preferences.
  • Drinks: Serve up a classic cocktail, like this Kir Royale:
    
    Ingredients:
    • 3 oz. creme de cassis
    • 1 bottle Champagne
    • 1 orange for zesting
    
    Directions:
    • Right before serving, pour 1 tbsp. creme de cassis into a cocktail glass.
    • Top with bubbly, and garnish with orange zest! Serves 6.

• Decorations: Decorate the dinner party room like a scene from Paris! Concentrate on the colors white and gold for the theme. Display groups of gold and white balloons and have a white table cloth with gold napkins, plates, cups, and cutlery. Purchase or make a large Eiffel Tower for the table centerpieces. Another option for centerpieces is to blow-up pictures from Paris and place them on easels in the middle of each table. If you hire caterers to help with the dinner party, request that they wear berets while serving guests. For the male caterers, request that they paint on a black mustache, with the sides curled upward. Play French music in the background to enhance the ambiance.

French party food and traditional parisian decor will transform the venue into a virtual vacation for guests and everyone will feel like they've just stepped off the plane in France!