"We love to use place cards for intimate dinner parties—the host personally knows all of the guests coming, so they are in charge of seating them in a way that conversation will flow. The paper for the place cards is a thick, black, matte variety with a sateen finish which we got at Print Icon. We then used a silver gel pen to hand-write the names for a personal touch."
"Lighting is one of the most important elements in creating an ambiance. For dinner parties we always dim the lights and use lots of candles."
"Whether it's mixing and matching the china or combining several different elements to create a centerpiece, we try to steer clear of the traditional when setting a table."
"We love to serve our favorite Italian red wine, Colle Sori Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. It has a smooth and full-bodied taste that goes very well with rice, pasta, and red meat. You can find it at Granyette on Grand street in Soho."
"Squash soup with a serving of creme fraiche and parsley—it's always a good idea to cook using food that is freshest at that time of year. For this dinner we used pumpkin, squash, and pomegranate seeds."