The Host

Introducing a new series spotlighting L.A.’s most courteous, clever, and consummate hosts

When I moved to Los Angeles, I suddenly had a bigger kitchen, a sizable dining table, outside space, and even the ability to garden. I started going to the farmers’ market every week to buy perfect seasonal produce. Quickly, I realized that dinner parties could—and should—factor heavily into my social life. I could put my cookbook collection to good use and have a regular excuse to make dessert. That was exciting. Now, three years later, I love any excuse to host, whether it’s having a couple of friends over for an easy dinner or commemorating a long weekend with smoked chicken and cherry clafoutis. I also love nothing more than being invited over to someone else’s house for dinner. 

Food culture in L.A. is equally defined by what we cook at home and how we socialize over food, as it is by our street food and restaurants. We eat Weiser melon salads dreamt up by chefs, but we also slice them, plate them, and serve them to our guests in our homes. And where else could a project like Karla Subero Pittol’s Chainsaw, a sporadic garage party with the potential of whole-roasted pig and crispy nectarine pie, exist besides Los Angeles? 

L.A. is a town of hosts. Of intimate dinner parties, celebrity-packed afterparties, supper clubs, pop-ups, barbecues, and the nightly spectacles that unfold at our buzzy and time-honored restaurants. So today, I’m introducing a recurring series called The Host. The Host will spotlight how our most courteous, clever, and consummate hosts make 10-person dinners, gallery openings, launch parties, and Saturday nights with a guestbook full of VIPs happen. 

I don’t purport to be a top dog in this field, but to set the stage, I’ll go first. 

As this series develops, my inbox is open to tips! Send me names of inviting home cooks, shrewd maître d's, big-time party planners, pop-up curators, and the like. :)

How I Host a Dinner Party