Whether it’s a long, lazy dinner by the flicker of citronella candlelight or a post-work apéro on the terrace, summer entertaining is in full swing, and we’ve enlisted the help of the most stylish hosts we know to serve up their party tricks. Pour yourself a Campari soda and settle in—it’s Aperitivo Hour.
Any event in New York City is going to have some element of the communal, by dint of its zip code: people passing by, nosily poking their heads into windows, tightly packed neighbors on all sides following along with your playlist, the more cacophonous thrum of the street outside occasionally joining in. For Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, twin sisters and the co-founders behind buzzy Manhattan restaurants Raf’s and The Musket Room, hosting is almost always a group effort anyway. So when their birthday rolled around, naturally, everyone got involved.
It started with the venue: Albanese, a 103-year-old butcher shop in Nolita. “Our dear friend Jennifer inherited the space from her grandfather, and she offered to host us,” says Nicole. “We wanted the evening to feel intimate and a little spontaneous, more like dropping into your favorite neighborhood place than arriving at a formal event.” They sent out invites (informal, with a date, a time, and “aperitivo birthday” as the sole description) and began cobbling together a menu. The aforementioned Jennifer contributed meatballs, their mom helmed the antipasti station, Raf’s supplied the tiramisù. “It felt personal, unexpected, and very us,” adds Nicole.
They included more of their community in smaller ways—take, for example, the drinks menu comprised of one friend’s favorite bottle of Chianti, another’s beloved Diet Cherry Cola, and “Kid Champagne” for the youngest guest—and let the party spill out onto the sidewalk, where they grilled in silk and passed around lamb skewers on Italian ceramic. “In the end, this birthday was as much about our people as it was about us,” says Nicole. “Everything was there for a reason; every piece connected us to a friend, partner, crush, or longtime supporter.” Adds Jennifer: “It was a night built around our favorite kind of abundance: the joy of sharing things made, grown, and created by the people who make our lives special.”
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Photography by Christopher Petrus
Set the Scene
“The color story really began with the food—the reds of the tomato sauce and the meats, the yellow of the lemons, the green of the herbs—and grew from there. Against the butcher shop’s wonderful old-world backdrop, it felt lively, warm, and just a little Italian. Also: Nicole needs a tight color palette in order to enjoy herself.
Because this wasn’t a traditional sit-down dinner, there wasn’t one formal tablescape. The decorative elements were spread throughout the space: the bar in the back to keep the flow moving and not concentrated in one area, food spread throughout the front room, a little arrosticini activation up front.”
linen napkins
stoneware cake stand
arco plate set
Stella nesting bowls
Photography by Christopher Petrus
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Photography by Allegra Lorenzotti
The Hosting Outfits
“We both like something that feels a little unexpected. It’s less ‘perfect hostess’ and more confident and playful in our own way. See: wearing white pajamas to eat spaghetti and meatballs, a silk Aflalo slip to grill (this one looked surprisingly cute with an apron on), or a Rick Owens gown at the butcher shop. Our team always says that we dress like we don’t work in restaurants because we love to wear silk and white dresses. We famously throw Sunday Supper dinners with an all-white dress code because it feels cheeky.”
combo tulle gown
twisted suede mules
Sabine silk dress
Holli slingback pumps
symmetry leather tote
studded bag
Photography by Christopher Petrus
Tabletop Heroes
“We tend to layer the table with things that are as lovely as they are useful: bowls of lemons or tomatoes, beautiful serving pieces and glassware that we’ve collected over the years, seasonal flowers, and handmade menus. It works every time. Porta platters, Emporio Sirenuse dipping bowls, classic Christofle silver, Guy Degrenne all-purpose wine glasses for wine, water, and spritzes. We wanted everything to feel collected rather than overly coordinated, as though the room had come together naturally over time. It’s a reflection of our travels, our heritage, our restaurants… all of the things that we love that inform our taste.”
Nina plate set
Natalia platter
espresso set
The Mare triple bowl
circle dinner plate
Marly 5-piece flatware set
Photography by Christopher Petrus
What’s on the Menu
“Our closest friends look forward to our mom’s cooking every year. Naturally, Mom handled the antipasti and served her beloved stuffed mushrooms, while Jen made the meatballs. From there, we enlisted a few of our favorite chefs and friends in the industry to round out the menu with some of our most-loved dishes from around town: Leon’s lamb arrosticini, Chef Noah’s beurre de poulet from Musket Room—which is an absolute revelation, served on Raf’s bread, of course—and Casetta’s caponata, which rivals any we’ve ever tasted. We wanted every detail to feel personal, so we created a menu inspired by our friends and family, with a little something for everyone.”
salad bowl
charcoal kebab grill
Verlaine serving spoon
oval platter
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Photography by Jennifer Prezioso
Drinks Station
“We served drinks made by friends for friends—Return Brewing, Body Vodka, Doladira, Casa Dragones, and Ghia—alongside the always-present San Pellegrino. It was a small way of making the evening feel deeply personal. Our people are everything to us, and we wanted the menu to reflect that.”
Domaine red wine glasses
Lauren water jug
Bash fluted beverage tub
Alessi stainless steel coasters
Photography by Christopher Petrus
Photography by Christopher Petrus
All in the Details
“There’s a time and a place for taper candles. They’re wonderfully dramatic and elegant, but not when Grandma’s linens are involved. You want your guests to feel completely at ease, not as though one spilled glass of wine might be diabolical. Our tables inevitably fill up with dinnerware, serving pieces, glassware, and, most importantly, food—so, we keep decorations minimal or whisk them away once the meal begins. That’s the recurring theme: the table should feel abundant, but the food always gets the final word.
Besides, who needs decoration when you have peak summer produce? Glossy tomatoes on the vine, a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano (party favors), piles of lemons, platters of antipasti, and dishes arriving from friends’ kitchens bring more life and color to a room than anything overly decorative ever could. The handmade menus pull it all together.”
Colletto pot
parmigiano reggiano half wheel
Piccolo spoon
antique sugar tongs
Dinner Party Dos & Don’ts
“Showing up empty-handed. Don’t be early or late, and please never bring a surprise guest.”
“We are having a big The Virgins resurgence. They recently did a surprise set at our dear friend Chrissie Miller’s birthday party. Then, unsurprisingly, a lot of powerful women: Chaka Khan, Solange, Teyana Taylor, Rita Marley. It flows, I promise.”
“Start with family, then closest friends, then ‘relevant’ friends, the people who you’re hanging with or vibing more with in this particular moment. We host a hundred events per year, so I hope no one is offended when they’re left off of one list or the next.”
“Lots of hands! At our parties, you’ll see everyone pitching in, and they wouldn’t hear of it if we asked them not to.”
Source: www.vogue.com
