As a host, I try to make sure all invitees know they are free to visit
for as short or as long a time as they like. If I'm inviting
people by email I will phrase it something like "the event runs
from 2 pm to 9 pm but feel free to stop by for any part of it
if you can't make the whole thing".

As a guest, I would try to make sure the host is comfortable
with a short-ish visit if that is what I want to do. But I
normally don't double-schedule dinner.

Beyond that, there are no rules.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> As a host, I try to make sure all invitees know they are free to visit
> for as short or as long a time as they like. If I'm inviting
> people by email I will phrase it something like "the event runs
> from 2 pm to 9 pm but feel free to stop by for any part of it
> if you can't make the whole thing".
>
> As a guest, I would try to make sure the host is comfortable
> with a short-ish visit if that is what I want to do. But I
> normally don't double-schedule dinner.
>
> Beyond that, there are no rules.
>
> Steve

How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

Goomba38 wrote:
>
> Steve Pope wrote:
> > As a host, I try to make sure all invitees know they are free to visit
> > for as short or as long a time as they like. If I'm inviting
> > people by email I will phrase it something like "the event runs
> > from 2 pm to 9 pm but feel free to stop by for any part of it
> > if you can't make the whole thing".
> >
> > As a guest, I would try to make sure the host is comfortable
> > with a short-ish visit if that is what I want to do. But I
> > normally don't double-schedule dinner.
> >
> > Beyond that, there are no rules.
> >
> > Steve
>
> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

One makes it a buffet and has enough food for all the invitees. Have
done that for informal dinner parties. Saves work and usually not much
in the way of leftovers.

Arri London > wrote:

>Goomba38 wrote:

>> Steve Pope wrote:

>> > As a host, I try to make sure all invitees know they are free to visit
>> > for as short or as long a time as they like. If I'm inviting
>> > people by email I will phrase it something like "the event runs
>> > from 2 pm to 9 pm but feel free to stop by for any part of it
>> > if you can't make the whole thing".
>> >
>> > As a guest, I would try to make sure the host is comfortable
>> > with a short-ish visit if that is what I want to do. But I
>> > normally don't double-schedule dinner.
>> >
>> > Beyond that, there are no rules.

>> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

>One makes it a buffet and has enough food for all the invitees. Have
>done that for informal dinner parties. Saves work and usually not much
>in the way of leftovers.

I generally don't do buffets from either direction.

A few "maybe" guests is not enough reason to switch plans if
the goal is a plated dinner served in several courses (which
is what I normally do as a host).

Steve

Arri London wrote:

>> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?
>
> One makes it a buffet and has enough food for all the invitees. Have
> done that for informal dinner parties. Saves work and usually not much
> in the way of leftovers.

And how much work does it add to keep heating, reheating and refreshing
the buffet for a never ending meal service?
I just don't see the attraction in holding a "open house" with a
Thanksgiving style hot meal. If it were a cocktail party open house.. I
can see it as most of the food is not heat dependent.

Goomba38 > wrote:

>Arri London wrote:

>>> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>>> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

>> One makes it a buffet and has enough food for all the invitees. Have
>> done that for informal dinner parties. Saves work and usually not much
>> in the way of leftovers.

>And how much work does it add to keep heating, reheating and refreshing
>the buffet for a never ending meal service?

It doesn't work. Buffets are not the way to go.

Just say "we'll be here from 2 pm to 9 pm; show up anytime,
but dinner is at 5". Then serve dinner to those who are
there at 5.

There are of course appetizers and whatnot the rest of the
time.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:

>> And how much work does it add to keep heating, reheating and refreshing
>> the buffet for a never ending meal service?
>
> It doesn't work. Buffets are not the way to go.
>
> Just say "we'll be here from 2 pm to 9 pm; show up anytime,
> but dinner is at 5". Then serve dinner to those who are
> there at 5.
>
> There are of course appetizers and whatnot the rest of the
> time.
>
> Steve

Yeah..this makes more sense to me. I would be exhausted and stressed out
if I couldn't do a proper meal service for TG.
The traveling about to various homes (all serving TG meals) on TG day to
me feels too much like trick-or-treating....

Steve Pope wrote:
>
> Goomba38 > wrote:
>
> >Arri London wrote:
>
> >>> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
> >>> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?
>
> >> One makes it a buffet and has enough food for all the invitees. Have
> >> done that for informal dinner parties. Saves work and usually not much
> >> in the way of leftovers.
>
> >And how much work does it add to keep heating, reheating and refreshing
> >the buffet for a never ending meal service?
>
> It doesn't work. Buffets are not the way to go.

Just a matter of knowing how to do it, as with anything. A well-planned
buffet is very much an excellent way to go, but *not* for someone who
doesn't want to do it.

> Just say "we'll be here from 2 pm to 9 pm; show up anytime,
> but dinner is at 5". Then serve dinner to those who are
> there at 5.
>
> There are of course appetizers and whatnot the rest of the
> time.
>
> Steve

Goomba38 wrote:


> And how much work does it add to keep heating, reheating and refreshing
> the buffet for a never ending meal service?
> I just don't see the attraction in holding a "open house" with a
> Thanksgiving style hot meal. If it were a cocktail party open house.. I
> can see it as most of the food is not heat dependent.

I used a crockpot for the gravy, several hotplates, and a
chafing dish. Everything was available for several hours.

If you get to the food early, it's almost always fresher
and better. So there's a built in penalty for the
late comers and stragglers.

--
Reg

Goomba38 wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
>
> >> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
> >> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?
> >
> > One makes it a buffet and has enough food for all the invitees. Have
> > done that for informal dinner parties. Saves work and usually not much
> > in the way of leftovers.
>
> And how much work does it add to keep heating, reheating and refreshing
> the buffet for a never ending meal service?
> I just don't see the attraction in holding a "open house" with a
> Thanksgiving style hot meal. If it were a cocktail party open house.. I
> can see it as most of the food is not heat dependent.

It's very little work; just a matter of planning/organising properly.
There is no need to reheat and 'refreshing' is the work of a moment or
two. (Keep in mind that I used to do paid catering for buffets and
sit-down meals.) The people I know to be reliable guests get a sit-down
dinner. The people likely to want to come and go get a buffet and
everyone is happy. No fuss no bother. As with all things YMMV.

Goomba38 > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> As a host, I try to make sure all invitees know they are free to visit
>> for as short or as long a time as they like. If I'm inviting
>> people by email I will phrase it something like "the event runs
>> from 2 pm to 9 pm but feel free to stop by for any part of it
>> if you can't make the whole thing".

>> As a guest, I would try to make sure the host is comfortable
>> with a short-ish visit if that is what I want to do. But I
>> normally don't double-schedule dinner.

>> Beyond that, there are no rules.

>How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

Well, obviously I will have some idea, not no idea of how many
will be there.

I will set the table based on how many people are physically there
as of the time I said I'd serve dinner.

Steve

On Nov 23, 8:13�pm, Goomba38 > wrote:
> Steve Pope wrote:
> > As a host, I try to make sure all invitees know they are free to visit
> > for as short or as long a time as they like. �If I'm inviting
> > people by email I will phrase it something like "the event runs
> > from 2 pm to 9 pm but feel free to stop by for any part of it
> > if you can't make the whole thing".
>
> > As a guest, I would try to make sure the host is comfortable
> > with a short-ish visit if that is what I want to do. �But I
> > normally don't double-schedule dinner.
>
> > Beyond that, there are no rules.
>
> > Steve
>
> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

Food... they just have beer and pretzels.

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:13:08 -0500, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

Lots of people who do open houses serve their food buffet style.

--
See return address to reply by email
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sf wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:13:08 -0500, Goomba38 >
> wrote:
>
>> How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>> you have no idea who's coming and for how long?
>
> Lots of people who do open houses serve their food buffet style.
>
Of course, but the food generally isn't Thanksgiving dinner type food.

> wrote:

> Goomba38 >

>>How much food do you prepare and how many do you set the table for if
>>you have no idea who's coming and for how long?

>Lots of people who do open houses serve their food buffet style.

I don't think Goomba's question had to do with whether it's
possible to serve a buffet (which it obviously is), but what to
do if one is holding a sit-down dinner but not all the invited guests
are promising to show up, or to show up at the desired time.

Steve