Hosting & Feasting

What to Bring So You Don’t Show Up Empty-Handed and Awkward

Look, we all love a beautifully set table and the fantasy that we might someday host one. But real talk: most of us are spending December showing up to other people’s houses. Which means learning the underrated art of being a great guest. Rule number one? Don’t be the person who texts “What can I bring?” from the backseat of your rideshare.

Bring something that fills a gap. Cover a category. Show up prepared.

That could mean a classic contribution—a potato gratin that fits neatly next to whatever’s happening in the roasting pan, or our Winter Taverna Salad, the rare make-ahead salad that doesn’t wilt into sadness between the car and the coat pile. It could also mean showing up with a batched cocktail like our Cynar-Mezcal number, chilled in a Mason jar and ready to pour, sparing your host the inevitable moment when someone asks for “something not too sweet.”

You can also go strategic: bring a thing with a story. Maybe it’s olive oil from a farmer you know by name, or the bottle of Lambrusco that finally convinces everyone that fizzy red wine is cool. The wow factor isn’t about expense—it’s about intention. Portable, prepped, and ready to serve means the host doesn’t have to think, which is the greatest gift of all.

And if time truly, absolutely, spectacularly gets away from you (holiday whiplash is real), here’s the pro move: grab an apron on your way out the door. Showing up ready to jump into prep—or to tackle dishes after the meal—is the ultimate gift. It costs nothing and makes you the kind of guest who gets invited back first next year.

Being a good guest isn’t complicated. Bring something delicious. Be useful. Leave the kitchen better than you found it. And for the love of all things festive, never show up empty-handed… even if what you’re bringing is a willingness to scrub a roasting pan.