add in a dozen or more dinner guests, and suddenly
your tiny abode is bursting at the seams. The team at
CM In The City has a furniture-buying tip that will allow
you to convert your lovely loft into a functional yet still
beautiful space for dinner parties and large gatherings.
As interior designers, Cathi and Mary Alice are always
on the hunt for furnishings that have a small footprint,
but can expand when needed. In their search, they
found an item called a gate table, sometimes referred
to as a drop leaf table. This piece is hands down, the
best multifunctional table they’ve found for a small
space. Closed it is about 22” deep and makes a perfect sofa or console table. When fully extended this
petite 22” table expands in some cases to over 80”
and can seat up to 10 for dinner.
These expandable tables are available in many design styles and finishes. For chairs consider some of
the “new” folding chairs such these from Front Gate.
Cathi loves that these chairs are a long way from the
metal folding card table chairs used at the kid’s table,
back in the day
Mary Alice offered a few thoughts on using a buffet
for your Thanksgiving dinner versus serving tableside.
Thanksgiving dinners served buffet style can make the
whole process run smoothly and will keep your table
free of serving dishes. A good practice is to set your
table with utensils and glasses but have the plates and
food stationed at the buffet.
offerings for your holiday dinner:
Side Dishes
Zinc Cafe.
The Art’s District offers this terrific vegetarian restaurant, a one-stop shop for all your Thanksgiving dishes.
You will love their delicious array of classics sides, sides
with a twist, and desserts that will dazzle you and your
guests. Zinc also offers a cool extra: For a small deposit they will have your sides table ready, in beautiful
serving dishes.
Complete Dinners
Urban Radish
Don’t feel like cooking at all? Urban Radish to the rescue! You can order everything your Thanksgiving heart
could desire. Just one step inside the Art’s District’s Urban Radish, it becomes obvious that the relationships
they cultivate with local farmers and food artisans are
very important to them. Their array of wonderful and
unusual products includes delicious canapés and custom designed cheese.
Whole Foods
DTLA is finally getting its own Whole Foods, opening
November 4th. Whole foods (if the opening stays on
target) will have a large ready to go food section and a
special pre-order menu for all things Thanksgiving, all
located within the market. How’s this for convenience?
If space allows, position the buffet table away from the
wall so your guests can have access from both sides.
Remember to lay out your food in logical order: Entrees before side dishes, etc. If you decide to serve
tableside, remember to have all of the necessary hot
plates and serving utensils on the table.
Farm To Table Grocery
Cathi suggested thanking someone else for Thanksgiving cooking. What better way to tame a hectic holiday
than to have someone else cook the meal? Ordering a
complete pre-cooked holiday dinner or some components of your dinner may be a great option.
Desserts
Whether you want the main course, a few fancy side
dishes, or everything from dinner rolls to dessert, there
are lots of options in every price range. All the prep
work is done for you, but you do have to allow time for
reheating. Usually one to two hours, depending on the
size of the bird and the number of sides. Remember to
order early.
Here’s the low-down on some of Downtown Los Angeles’ area grocers, and bakeries that have Thanksgiving
Grow
Located in the Arts District, Grow has table offerings
straight from the farm, and besides cooking these delicious dishes for you; they’ll even deliver them to you!
The Pie Hole
No Thanksgiving shopping list is complete without PIE
and DTLA’s; The Pie Hole is the perfect place for all
things pie as well as many other delicious items, both
sweet and savory. Be sure to pre-order.
Big Sugar Bakeshop
Known for their wonderful bread, exquisite wedding
cakes and lots of desserts and pies. Big Sugar Bakeshop is a sweet tooth’s dream. Be sure to check out
their caramel apple pie and rem