We adore a beautifully arranged seated dinner - elegant plates, a full tablescape, a perfectly timed entrée. But the modern hosting favorite is the charcuterie party, the grazing board buffet, the walk-around-and-mingle style of entertaining.
Because people don’t come just for food. They come for connection.
A grazing table naturally creates movement:
- guests don’t stay seated,
- conversations mix and evolve,
- people form new groups around the food.
Small plates make this happen.
Small plate = small commitment.
More visits to the table = more conversations.
(Like speed-dating, but with cheese.)
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Keith Ferrazzi built his network long before he was a bestselling author. In college, he hosted simple dinners and used them to connect people. His method wasn’t about impressing - it was about curating interaction.
Here are his practical rules:
1. Invite intentionally. He didn’t invite people at random; he invited people who could benefit from knowing each other.
2. Don’t cook for applause — cook to gather people.
Some dinners were literally pasta + grocery-store wine.
3. Use triangular introductions.
He always introduced guests with context:
“Sarah just launched a business. John, you scaled one. Talk.”
4. Be the facilitator, not the performer.
He walked around the room making sure everyone was part of a conversation.
5. Follow up afterward.
He emailed guests to reconnect them — turning a meeting into a relationship.
His insight applies perfectly to grazing tables: the less time you spend performing in the kitchen, the more time you spend connecting with people.
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Grazing tables and charcuterie work best with small disposable plates:
- 6-inch plates are ideal when guests want appetizer-size servings.
- 4-inch plates are perfect for canapé bites - guests take just a taste, then return.
Less food per plate = more visits = more conversations.
And small party plates made of palm leaf not only have that natural, rustic, wood-like look that makes any grazing board feel curated - they also let you skip the sink full of dishes.
More time with guests, less time cleaning.
And unlike regular disposable plates:
- they’re sturdy, won’t leak or bend,
- heat- and microwave-safe,
- they’re natural, compostable and biodegradable, and kinder to the planet than traditional party supplies.
Your guests won’t believe they’re disposable.
People don’t remember the exact cheese on your grazing board.
They remember how your event made them feel.
Whether you’re using appetizer plates, dessert plates, charcuterie plates, or full catering plates:
Choose dinnerware that supports the experience, not just the menu.
People may come for the food, but they stay because of how your event makes them feel.
