Buffet Platters Article

Buffet Platters

Successful buffets start with a good layout of your buffet platters



When you're inviting a lot of guests to your party or just want to have a casual lunch or dinner with a minimum of fuss and cleanup, a buffet is the way to go. What you may not know is that how you lay out and fill your buffet platters can make the difference between a smooth, easy flow of traffic and a confused scene with people bumping into one another. Here are a few pointers on organizing a buffet that's attractive and easy for your guests to navigate.

Whether you purchase buffet platters with ready-made food or load up the platters yourself, you'll want each platter to be confined to a single type of food and course. For example, a plate of veggies and its accompanying dip should be placed on one end of the table with other appetizer dishes. Serving utensils should be placed on the appropriate platter.

This makes it easy for your guests to find the appetizers, especially if you're serving some sophisticated appetizers which might not be readily recognized. For example, dolmas is a delicious Greek dish of seasoned meat with pinenuts and rice which is wrapped in a grape leaf. Many people are too embarassed to ask, "What is that?" for fear of offending you or appearing ignorant. After all, you want your guests to partake of everything you have. Some hosts use placecards giving the name of the dish alongside each buffet platter to eliminate the guesswork. If you're serving many appetizers, you may want to use a separate table for appetizers and another for entrees and desserts.

Group dishes of salads and sides to each side of your entrees.

Follow the same procedure for entrees, grouping your buffet platters, each with its own serving utensils. If you use separate tables, placing your guest's plates, napkins and utensils at each end of the table makes your buffet line run a little smoother too.

Bread baskets give convenient access to your guests when placed in the center of the entree table or section, along with butter and spreads.

Laying out your buffet in this way means that guests can serve themselves from either end of the table and won't need to queue up in a single long cafeteria-style line.

If you're hosting a casual affair, an assortment of brightly colored or patterned ceramic buffet platters gives a festive appearance. For formal occasions, silver platters with lace paper liners or plain white ceramic platters make an elegant presentation.

You'll find that organizing your buffet tables this way leads to easy serving access, which contributes to a relaxed atmosphere and your guest's enjoyment of your party.






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