Few people on the planet exude better dinner party vibes than the legendary Ina Garten. The Barefoot Countess The writer has built a career around her reputation not only as an incredible cook, but also as an accomplished host. So when Ina Garten gives dinner advice, we sit patiently in our seats, ready to listen. And we heartily agree with Garten’s recent advice on the two things you should never bring to a dinner party as a guest.
Garten sat down for an interview with TODAY host and longtime friend Willie Geist at City Winery at Pier 57 in New York City for Geist’s Sunday Sitdown segment, when the topic of dinner parties naturally came up. Geist stressed the importance of arriving at a party without “gifts that disrupt the plan of the evening,” asking Garten for her opinion. She was ready with two elements that she considered great prohibitions.
“There are two things I don’t think you should bring to a dinner party, and they’re so common. The first is something the host feels like they should serve. I mean, starting with, like, a Jell-O salad,” Garten said to laughter from the crowd, adding, “What are you going to do with that?”
Garten went on to note that she wasn’t a fan of bringing a bulk bouquet without a container for the host. “And never bring flowers that aren’t in a vase,” she shared, with Geist noting, “Oh, that’s the worst! You’re there. You’re like everyone’s coming and then all of a sudden you have these flowers and you have to figure out what to do.”
This is by no means Garten’s first foray into sharing dinner party etiquette tips. Beautiful house published an advice column in Garten’s in the early 2000s, and she made her thoughts clear on pressing issues like nonstick cookware (she’s not a fan of it). “I’m not that big of a fan of non-stick pans. Even though nothing works as well as non-stick pans, I’ve always avoided them.”
Garten also gave helpful advice on how to handle a late guest, telling readers to “wait up to 30 minutes for latecomers to arrive. If they’re still not there, I quietly rearrange the table to remove their plates, glasses, and chairs, and set them aside in case they arrive.”
The real question is: what if they show up with loose flowers and a Jell-O salad? You’ll have to ask Ina Garten, she’ll know what to do
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