Honing Your Cooking Ritual

Posted on: 21 November 2016

Delight a friend or loved one who loves dining at seafood restaurants to a celebration inspired by them. You can plan a seafood-restaurant-themed soiree for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or any other type of special event. They would also work for housewarming parties and bridal showers.

When creating the celebration, keep the theme consistent throughout, from the dinner menu to the nautical-inspired decor. With some planning, you'll be able to transport the celebrant and guests to a tasty seafood restaurant whether you're hosting the party in your home or a rented hall.

Here are some tips for planning the nautical restaurant-themed party:

Decorations

The easiest way to set the stage for the fishy celebration is with the right decor. The good news is that you don't have to spend a lot of money and break your budget while creating an authentic-looking space.

Start by hanging netting, made from brown or white nautical rope, on the walls. Then, place seashells, starfish, and sand dollars throughout the netting. If you don't live near a beach where you can gather the shells, you can order them online or even find them at a local craft store.

For quick and easy table centerpieces, fill tall, clear glass vases with blue and green beads that resemble sea glass, small seashells, or a combination of the two items. Nestle pillar candles in the center of the vases for soft lighting elements that look good both day and night.

You can also scatter a mix of seashells, starfish, and sand dollars over the tables as a whimsical touch. Have the guests bring them home in small bags as party favors. 

Menu 

Start the dinner by making tasty seafood appetizers, or have them catered if you're expecting a lot of guests. Some popular picks include shrimp cocktail, broiled oysters, oysters on the half-shell, oyster stew, clam chowder, and crab cakes. 

When it comes to dinner, either make one palate-pleasing entree, such as pasts with a creamy seafood Alfredo sauce, or provide a buffet of options. If you go the buffet route, consider serving a mix of items such as fried fish, grilled or fried shrimp, crab cakes on buns, fish tacos or even sushi. 

For dessert, you can make treats that you'd typically find at island seafood restaurants, such as mango cheesecake, key lime pie, coconut cream pie, flan and tres leches to give guests a taste of the tropics after their seafood meals. 

For more information or assistance, contact companies like 316 Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill.