6 Dinner Party Essentials, Selected by Our Editors
With entertaining on the brain this month, BA's editors share their favorite party staples
1/6Elizabeth Spiridakis Olson, art director
"The graphics on vintage beer coasters are so cool, it masks the fact that I'm being a nerd and making people actually use a coaster." Vintage beer coasters, prices vary; etsy.com
2/6Amiel Stanek, assistant to the editor in chief
"Six nubs of cheese on a platter says: ‘I'm worried about pleasing you.' I prefer to serve one whole cheese that I feel strongly about. It says: 'Trust me, I know what I'm doing.' " Harbison by Cellars at Jasper Hill, $24 for 12 oz.; murrayscheese.com
3/6Meryl Rothstein, senior associate editor
"After dinner and before dessert, I bust out the dominoes. They're conducive to two of my party essentials: conversation and drinking." Classic Game Collection Double Twelve Dominoes, $26; wayfair.com
4/6Julia Kramer, associate editor
"Who would dry dishes with something this good-looking? I use these striking oversize [29x28"] flour sack tea towels as table runners instead." Tea towels, $12; shapes-colors.com
5/6Carla Lalli Music, food and features editor
"L'Effet Papillon honeydew—a nutty, less-sweet cousin of honey—makes an amazing hostess gift. Just drizzle it onto crostini or panna cotta." Honeydew, $63 for 2.2-lb. jar; quitokeeto.com
6/6Alison Roman, senior addociate food editor
"The porridge bread from Bar Tartine in San Francisco is why I love gluten. I want to slather it in butter and serve it to all of my guests—all of the time." Find the recipe in Chad Robertson’s latest cookbook, Tartine Book No. 3, $24; amazon.com (Photo: Chad Robertson)
