Food at adult birthday party can be very elegant or it can be simple. Find out what type of food the birthday celebrant prefers before planning a menu. If they love fancy hors’dourves or elegant pheasant under glass, give them a party that will exude style. If they like pizza and beer provide several types of pizza and a choice of brews.
Dinner Party
An elegant dinner party will start the birthday celebrant on their next year in life with style. Give time for a cocktail hour before dinner and use a bartender or keep it simple by mixing up a few drinks that only take a few ingredients. Place them in large pitchers where guests can pour themselves a drink. Provide a few simple hors’douves during the hour, but limit the amount so your guests will still be hungry for dinner. The cocktail snacks can constitute the appetizer and when dinner starts begin with a soup or salad and go right to the main dish, which should be something special like Cornish game hens, rack of lamb, chicken piccata, or filet mignon. Serve sides including asparagus tips wrapped with prosciutto, garlic mashed potatoes, fettuccini or creamed pearl onions and peas. End with a gourmet red velvet, carrot cake or German chocolate cake served with an Italian ice.
Heavy Hors’dourves Party
Perhaps the birthday celebrant enjoys fancy finger food, but there usually isn’t a good event in which to sample a wide variety. Set up the bar or provide a variety of mixed drinks along with coffee and tea and serve a delightful assortment of foods that can be eaten with the fingers or with a minimum of utensils. Place raw vegetables and dips and a variety of cut cheeses and fruits at different stations around the venue. Some good ideas for hors’dourves are dates or water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, kabobs, cream cheese wontons, cocktail wieners in a spicy sauce, cheese puffs, fancy pizza, nachos, quesadillas, mini quiches, pepperoni rolls, Swedish meatballs and fondue. Guests tend to eat more at a finger food event than they do at a sit down dinner because they talk and eat and lose track of what they consume, so watch the budget with this type of party and make sure there is enough for everyone.
Barbeque Party
A barbeque party might be just the thing for a summer birthday. Make the event more adult by serving gourmet burgers with all the trimmings, ribs, pulled pork, bbq chicken, steak, grilled shrimp along with grilled vegetables, red potato and chick pea salad and throw in the famous green bean casserole. Serve lemonade, ice tea and a variety of beers.
Another food at adult birthday party tip is to hire a caterer to supply any of the above food items. The host is then free to interact with the birthday celebrant and guests at will. Use a well-known local caterer or ask your friends for the name of one and meet them before the party day arrives.
