Elegant Take-Out Table

Chefanie's Guide to How to Host Takeout Elegantly

Don't feel like cooking? Pressing a few GrubHub buttons is an easy solution to have exotic cuisines at home. 

To make a take-out meal more elevated, I put together a take-out themed tablescape. The finished table conveys that thought and care went into hosting, even without turn on the oven. With all of the dishes served on platters family-style, it can even be a little elegant. 

I planned the tablescape around our bestselling Sunday Takeout Napkins. This meant incorporating other red elements like chopsticks, glasses, and flowers.

Our bestselling Sunday Takeout Napkins, around which the tablescape was planned.

In the middle of the table I put unwrapped fortune cookies. This adds to decor and allows guests to nosh. 

At each seat is a handpainted watercolor menu with takeout favorites

Some of the individual components on the table:

Love our Chefanie blue & white scalloped tablecloth for the foundation of the takeout table. Shop here.

Chefanie Linen Embroidered Takeout Napkin Set - Four

Our bestselling Sunday Takeout Napkins: hand-embroidered linen napkins with iconic takeout container, chopsticks, fortune cookie, and the imperative fortune, “Be Happy”!

Red roses 

Blue & white urns. Shop here.

Custom Fortune Cookies

Fortune cookies are pretty to decorate the table. Plus, having them on the table ensures that no one will go hungry.

If you have time in advance of the shindig to customize them, all the better.
There are lots of online vendors to customize the messages in fortune cookies. 

Chefanie Linen Embroidered Takeout Napkin Set - Four

Love red chopsticks 

Chefanie Blue & White Ceramic Straws match the tablecloth and are a fun add-on. Shop here

If you're ordering takeout for a party, make sure you have options for every dietary type: vegan, gluten-free, kosher, nut-free, dairy-free, etc. 

At the same time, order enough of each thing so everyone can potentially partake in it. Budget at least 1.5 dishes per person. Here's a checklist of food groups: 
Raw vegetable (Salad)
Cooked Vegetable (Sauteed / roasted whole vegetables) 
Red Meat dish
Poultry dish
Vegetarian starch (rice / noodles / bread without meat)
Non-vegetarian starch 
Dessert 

Of course it depends what kind of take-out you're ordering, but I love how Rieslings cut into the fattiness of rich Chinese dishes.

Chefanie with tablescape
Chefanie with tablescape

Keeping it casual, but blending into the tablescape elements with denim dress (Ann Taylor), red belt (Hermes), and pumps. 

It's a no frills evening. This nostalgic 90s Spotify playlist here feels perfect.


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