Gathering for a meal can be all the more special when you offer guests the occasional unexpected moment. The wow factor of an over-the-top dish such as a Baked Alaska (a retro yet suddenly popular once again dome of ice cream and cake wrapped in dollops of soft meringue), for example, is guaranteed to get guests talking.
Such confections will entice even further if they’re served up on something that begs to be seen like a dandy cake stand. Shannon Nocos, founder of the Toronto-based bakery Kwento, is known for crafting grand desserts – and she says that a show-stopping treat should have its moment in the spotlight. “Cakes are a proven conversation starter and are often deemed ‘too pretty to cut into’ so why not go over-the-top and give it a literal platform,” she says. “After all, if something is contributing to dinner conversation, it deserves a seat at the table.”
The theatrical spirit that’s taking over home entertaining extends to glassware that’s as gorgeous as it is useful. Nicholas Eliot, head bartender at Doc’s Green Door Lounge in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood, says the Nick and Nora glass (a style of stemmed cocktail glass popularized in the 1934 movie, The Thin Man) is his favourite type of glassware. “Not only do I think that they are the most elegant looking, but I think that they’re the most versatile.” Anything from a daiquiri to a martini looks smart atop its stem – and it’s less precarious to serve and sip from than other styles of barware.
After all this indulgence is through, Byron Peart, co-founder of the Montreal lifestyle product e-tailer Goodee, says that sweeping up any mess can be taken to a whimsical height when a crumb duster or table brush is used. “There’s a utility element, obviously,” Peart says. “But then there’s also a ritualistic, beautiful experience in gathering where you can make someone feel special by doing something as simple as tidying up.”
TAKE THE CAKE
Left: Vitra High Tray, $125 at Ssense (ssense.com). Right, from top down: Alessi Mattina cake stand, $320 at Bergo Designs (bergodesigns.com). Mosser glass cake plate, $80 at Baa Baazaar (baabaazaar.com). Nambé Quatro cake plate with server, $100 at Bergo Designs. Calamansi Meringue Tart and Ube Marble Cheesecake provided by Kwento (make-kwento.com).Brandon Titaro/The Globe and Mail
Forgo fussy pedestals of table settings past and look to sleek, eye-catching designs that delight with colour and materials.
RAISE THE GLASS
From left: LSA International Boris Collection Nick and Nora glass, $60 at William Ashley (williamashley.com). Riedel large Nick and Nora glasses, $55 for a set of two, Viski Raye Nick and Nora glasses, $42 for a set of two, at Cocktail Emporium (cocktailemporium.com). Stack Base glass, $28 at Avenue Daughter (avenuedaughter.com). Nick and Nora glass, $13.95 at Crate and Barrel (crateandbarrel.ca). 1910 Retro Nick and Nora glass, $16 at Cocktail Emporium.Brandon Titaro/The Globe and Mail
Wow guests – or elevate your everyday tipple time – with novel Nick and Nora-style glassware or other coupe and goblet silhouettes that range from retro to refined.
NOTHING BUT CRUMBS
From left: Redecker table sweeping set, $72 at Pretty Clean Shop (prettycleanshop.com). Iris Hantverk table brush set, $66 through goodeeworld.com. Redecker dust brush, $36 at Pretty Clean Shop. Gohar World crumb catcher, $200 at Ssense (ssense.com).Brandon Titaro/The Globe and Mail
Grand gestures go a long way, even during a humble meal at home. Add a touch of charm while dashing away dinner’s detritus with a natty table duster that evokes Scandinavian efficiency or entertaining at its most opulent.
Styling by Odessa Paloma Parker. Sets and prop styling by Chad Burton at Cadre Artists. Photo assistant: Jenna MacDermaid. Styling assistant: Leah Gust.
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