Whether you’re looking to start or build your entertaining toolbox, you can’t go wrong with simple, white dinner plates. I know, I know. How boring? How generic. Really? How creative is that? Well, consider them kind of like a blue blazer or string of pearls. Classic. Dresses up or down. Versatile. Timeless. A core item that never does you wrong.
Let’s first consider that the white dinner plate operates on a couple of different levels. First it serves as the base frame or matte border for the table designs around it. All of the other items are like accessories. Linens, chargers, accent plates, flowers can be dictated by the mood of the moment. Holiday cheer? Fall Harvest? No problem. The decision is yours. Second, (and from a cook’s standpoint) the white dinner plate is also the best platform to showcase the food. It keeps the focus on where it should be. Nothing to distract your eye. And better still, nothing to conflict with the food. A heavy winter roast can look somewhat odd served on sunny summer flowers. Not a huge catastrophe in the scheme of things, but why introduce it?
So what’s my reasoning for blogging this? I wish someone had told me. I had to learn the hard way – twice! My first and only formal china pattern was, well, too formal. Not a heavy laden pattern, per se. But just enough to scream “Be on your best behavior.” Great for the holidays and very special occasions, but for anything else, it was a little like wearing a tux to a neighborhood bar. Way overdressed. I had no options. My tables were either run of the mill cafeteria utility or “dinner at The White House”. My second mistake was when I decided to recharge my kitchen by replacing my everyday set with one that was deep red. Let’s be bold I thought. Unexpected. Fun! They were from Sur La Table so they had to be fashionable, right? Wrong. I couldn’t wait to get rid of them. I never really thought I had an opinion about colored plates until I had to look at them. Everyday. Every meal. Every time I reached into the cabinet. I soon began to despise this color. The “wow factor” was over, quickly. And insult to injury? Color or pattern-intensive plates show wear almost instantaneously out of the box. Utensils scratch them. Dishwashers fade them. Oh yea, and chips seem to be magnified due to their contrast with the white innards. If only I had been saved from myself…
So, do yourself a favor. Start smart (or build smart.) Stock up on white dinner plates, both casual and formal. You may have others to swap in and out. But, you'll be back. These beauties never go out of style.
BLOG NOTE: And don't worry about breaking up traditional 5-piece place settings either. Does anyone really entertain this way anymore? Way too matchy-matchy. Shake things up. Buy only the pieces you like, and most importantly, use.
BLOG NOTE: And don't worry about breaking up traditional 5-piece place settings either. Does anyone really entertain this way anymore? Way too matchy-matchy. Shake things up. Buy only the pieces you like, and most importantly, use.
