Hostess with the mostest Joyce DeVita shared her personal timeline with Boca magazine from her most recent vintner dinner. For this web extra from our September/October issue, she showed us the attention to detail this kind of entertaining requires.
NOTE TO WAITERS:
Do not use any of the house dishes, silverware or glasses; use rentals; do not use silverware from the kitchen drawers
When wine and food are not being served please remain outside and oversee the guests’ needs at the dining table unless the chef needs your help. Waiters should be outside by the dining table. Make sure to be available for guest’s requests i.e., refilling water.
Please refrain from drinking while working.
EVENING TIMELINE
6:00 p.m.
Waiters, Valet and Saxophonist arrive
7:00 P.M.
Saxophonist begins
Guests arrive. Hosts greet guests at door
Champagne Reception begins; waiters serve hors d’oeuvres
Vintner and waiters serve Taittinger Brut LaFrancaise Champagne from the family room table
7:40 P.M.
Light candles
Guests begin to be seated
7:50 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Guests are seated
[Remove empty champagne flutes.] Wine glasses are in order of service; wine is always served before the food.First, pour Evian water into the water goblet.
Continue to pour water throughout the dinner.
8:00 PM – 8:15 P.M
Joyce welcomes guests on behalf of Historical Society
Serve first wine, Les Cassagnes de la Nerthe Cotes-Du-Rhone Rose 2020; winemaker may speak
First course is served: dayboat scallop and roasted yellow beet salad; dill labneh, Swank Farms greens, blood orange candied pistachio nuts
8:15 PM
First course is cleared
Wine glass is removed when empty
During the dinner, guests may choose to keep their wine glasses
8:20 P.M. – 8:35 P.M.
Serve second wine, Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Blanc 2020, winemaker may speak
Second course is served: local Key West pink shrimp, red Thai curry, jasmine rice, golden pineapple, kaffir lime
Waiters make regular coffee and hot water; put cream in creamer, teabags on the table
8:35 P.M.
Second course is cleared; wine glass is removed when empty
8:40 P.M. – 8:55 P.M.
Serve third wine, Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2019; winemaker may speak
Third course is served: fresh Chesapeake jumbo lump crab cake, sweet corn, spring pea and Virginia country ham succotash, wild ramp aioli
8:55 P.M.
Third course is cleared; wine glass is removed when empty
9:00 P.M. – 9:15 P.M.
Serve fourth wine and fifth wine side by side; winemaker may speak
Large glass on right: Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Cuvee des Cadettes 2015; smaller glass on left: Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Private Reserve 2010
Fourth Course is served: porcini-crusted halibut, roasted portabella Mushroom, Yukon gold potatoes, black truffle veal jus
9:15 P.M.
Fourth course is cleared; wine glass is removed when empty
9:20 P.M – 9:35 P.M.
Fifth wine served in cut crystal glass
Fifth course is served
9:30 P.M.
During dessert Joyce, Thom, Joni and Al present gifts and accolades to the chef and staff; guests are invited to the Lobby Lounge
9:45 P.M.
Dinner is completed. Saxophonist moves inside. Après dinner guests proceed to the living room for coffee, tea and petites bouchées. After dinner drinks at the bar such as Cognac and Armagnac or guests’ request
Thom and Joyce and waiter help in bartending
Waiters and assistants clean up
This web extra is from the September/October 2022 issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe to the magazine.
