Fall Dinner Party Alfresco

We’re ready for a dinner party al fresco style as the weather transitions to more comfortable temperatures. This menu and party plan is a terrific way to welcome the fall season, celebrate a birthday, or host a late summer garden party.

Fall Outdoor Dinner Party

Late summer and early fall are the perfect time of year for an outside party or sunset supper. It’s warm by day, and a little cool at night!

Use these party ideas as a blueprint for your next gathering. Set a simple but beautiful tablescape and serve a farm-to-table style dinner.

Fall Outdoor Tablescape

Decorate the table setting with casual but chic details.

• Use a yard of fabric tossed on the diagonal in lieu of a full tablecloth. Black and white stripes are a terrific base for any color.
• Accent with golden yellow to coordinate with seasonal flowers.
• Create layered place settings with rattan or wicker placemats, white dinner plates, and individual cheese boards.
• Place a communal bread bowl is in the center of the table so everyone has easy access.

Place Settings

Give each guest their own cheese board appetizer with Gouda, Chèvre, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus grapes to whet their appetite.

To create a casual feel, use vintage or vintage-style amber tumblers instead of stemware to hold water or wine.

Place Card Holder

Tie name tag place holders onto the handle of each mini cheese board. They can double as take home gifts for your guests!

Centerpiece

Sunflowers are the flower of choice since they represent the end of summer and beginning of Fall. Put them inside a white pitcher at the end of the table, instead of the center, to facilitate family style dining.

Party Favors

Send guests home with homemade freezer jam made from summer’s bounty of berries. Use strawberries or raspberries.

Decor

Set up the food buffet style so guests can serve themselves.

Decorate with seasonal mums and lanterns, and welcome guests with a small chalkboard sign.

Expert Tips

• Be prepared for cooler temperatures once the sun goes down. Have the firepit ready to light, and provide throws to wrap around shoulders.
• Use your overhead string lights, lanterns and candles as the sun sets.
• Offer a hot toddy or mulled wine for after dinner drinks.
• Use a portable blue tooth speaker to play a lounge-style or jazz playlist.
• Incorporate conversation starters, card games, or other fun entertainment.

What to Serve

Create an alfresco menu that consists of fresh seasonal ingredients. Think tomatoes, berries, herbs, apples, and greens.

These recipes are ideal because they can be served at room temperature, or in this case, outside temperature.

• Start with a caprese salad with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper.
• For the main entrée, cook lemon-herb chicken on the grill. It’s simple and delicious!
• Next, mix up my favorite spinach and orzo salad. It’s a great balance of vegetables and grains.
• For dessert, nothing’s better for an outdoor fall dinner party than this rustic apple galette with caramel drizzle!

More Menu Ideas

Even though this is a fabulous menu, you could also serve this light and rustic dinner menu. Here are additional recipes that would also work well.

Salads

• Spinach arugula salad with tomatoes
• Kale and apple salad
• Beet and goat cheese salad
• Marinated green been salad

Side Dishes

• Greek couscous salad
• Pesto pasta salad with veggies
• Mediterranean chickpea salad – great entrée for vegetarians too!

Meat

• Plank grilled salmon
• Teriyaki chicken on a stick
• Jerk seasoned chicken skewers
• Beef kabobs

Dessert

• Mixed berry galette
• Blackberry custard pie
• Pumpkin flavored ice cream

Wine

For this menu I like to pair the cheese appetizer with a light Riesling that’s on the dryer side, such as Chateau St. Michelle.

And for the main course, Pinot Grigio is a good choice. One of my favorite, very affordable labels is Cavit. See more tips for serving wine here.