Cafe Davis 2014 is just around the corner, and we're getting stoked. It's going to be a fun and different year! We usually know pretty much everyone coming to dinner in a given night. We can anticipate what people will talk about, how they are likely to get along, and sometimes even the dessert they are likely to bring. This year? Not so much. There's a higher-than-average number of people that we flat out don't know at all, and a decent sprinkling of folks that we've only met once or twice. And then there's the added interesting twist that on a lot of nights there are people coming that I know and Mike doesn't know and vicey versy. But you gotta love people who will go eat at another person's house on a whim, and we look forward to making some great new friends!
With this in mind, the RSVP list definitely shows us that we'll have A LOT of Cafe Davis newbies. If you fall in that category, here's a Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Cafe Davis list to help you get acclimated. 10. This isn't a fancy dinner party oozing with elegance. Yes, we do use real plates, but they aren't china and are not necessarily going to match. I may remember to light the candles. I might not. The napkins are paper because it's hard enough to keep up with regular ol' laundry. You get the idea. 9. Our house is crowded, especially when there's 45 square feet of table parked in what is typically our living room. There's not much space for milling about. Appetizers and cocktails are served at 7:30, but don't expect to move around very freely. We suggest that you get your grub, pick a spot of real estate, make some small talk, and chow down. 8. You can wear whatever you like. Sometimes I joke about turning Cafe Davis into a 12-day ugly sweater marathon, but Mike says that would be "too much." I guess we have to draw the line somewhere. Ugly sweater, cocktail attire, comfy sweats - whatever you want to do is fine. 7. We're assigning seats this year. We don't want all the folks we know well to cluster together, leaving our new friends feeling awkward across the very large table. So think of some conversation starters, and get ready to make some new friends. Wondering what to say? Here are five awesome and five awful conversation starters. 6. Food is served family style 'cause Cafe Davis is one big family. (Spoiler alert for next year - I think we're going to try to engineer a giant Lazy Susan. And no, you can't ride on it.) 5. We have a young child, who may or may not be on her best behavior. Eight o'clock is her witching hour. We will try our best to get her in bed, but there are no guarantees. Some nights there may be other wild/cranky/loud children in attendance as well. Children are the only guests allowed to be cranky, although we will tolerate wild and loud in reasonable doses from the grownups. 4. We've been doing this a long time, and we often get asked the same questions. If you're not a newbie and you've heard a story a million times, our apologies in advance. 3. We're getting all up in social media this year. We have a Cafe Davis photographer to assist me in taking pics of food and your smiling faces, and you will eventually see those posted here on the website. I also set up an Instagram account @Cafe_Davis that is synced with our Cafe Davis Facebook page, so you can look for documentation of your frolicking fun there as well. Feel free to share #cafedavis. 2. Please don't feel compelled to clear the table/wash the dishes when all is said and done. Blink and you'll miss our tiny countertops, and it's easier for us to construct a leaning tower of dishware in the diminutive area than to have a bunch of people crowded in the kitchen to help. We appreciate the sentiment though, truly. 1. We aim to make food that's delicious, but we're not chefs. Sometimes ingredients aren't available. Sometimes we mess things up. That's why we ask you ALL to bring dessert. If the biscuits are flat and there wasn't enough meatloaf to go around, at least you'll go to sleep with visions of cookies, cakes, pies, trifles, fudge, etc. dancing in your heads. And bonus - this year we have to-go boxes for you so you can take extra sweets for the road. If you feel compelled to say, "no, you keep it," don't. Remember, we have 12 guests showing up with dessert the very next night! Hopefully Cafe Davis is a bit demystified for you now. If you have more questions, you're always welcome to contact Alysia. See you soon! Comments are closed.
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