# Help me pick a menu for a Sunday afternoon drinking party **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364 "2010-06-24T15:29:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/1 "2010-06-24T15:29:49Z")
So the future Mrs. Rabbit and I just moved in to a new place. We’re inviting 20-25 friends over for drinks and snacks this Sunday afternoon. It’s going to be pretty informal - we’ll have a couple of cases of beer, a few bottles of wine, and stuff for summer cocktails. I expect people will be randomly dropping by throughout the afternoon, and we’re going to start kicking people out at dinner time. I’m what passes for the chef in the relationship, so I’m in charge of the menu. I’m looking for relatively small appetizers that can be mostly prepared the day before, and will hold up well throughout the afternoon. We’re well in to the steamy armpit season in these parts, so I don’t want to spend a ton of time in front of a stove or grill. So far, I’ve settled on the following: - Fresh dill hummus with toasted pita - A single round of beef/veggie kebabs to hit the grill about an hour after the party starts - Mini-onigiri sprinkled/filled with various things - The usual veggie tray Any other ideas? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/2 "2010-06-24T15:34:59Z")
Sausage cheese balls. Delicious and only takes minutes to make. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/3 "2010-06-24T15:39:30Z")
Get all your friends hooked on Bloody Caesars: Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz vodka 4 oz clamato juice 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce dash of Tabasco sauce celery salt lime wedge pepper to taste celery salt celery stalk for garnish Preparation: Rim a highball glass with the juice from the lime wedge and a combination of celery salt and salt. Add the vodka and clamato juice. Season with pepper, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces to taste. Stir well. Garnish with a celery stick. Don’t tell them about the clamato juice. 🙂 Also, a hollowed out watermelon re-filled with fruit cocktail (including the watermelon, of course) is always delicious in summer. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/4 "2010-06-24T15:41:24Z")
There’s always cocktail weenies:D “You can’t go wrong with cocktail weenies. They look as good as they taste. And they come in this delicious red sauce. It looks like ketchup, it tastes like ketchup, but brother, it ain’t ketchup!” - Homer Simpson ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/5 "2010-06-24T16:20:15Z")
Tzatziki is always a hit on a hot day. 1 pint Greek yoghurt 1 cucumber Crushed garlic to taste Optional: olive oil and white wine vinegar Shred the cucumber onto a clean tea towel. Wrap and twist until most of the moisture is out. Mix cucumber, garlic, and yoghurt in a bowl. Optionally, add 1 desert spoon of olive oil and 1 tsp of vinegar. Mix. Put into the fridge overnight. Devils on horseback: prunes wrapped in bacon. Serve hot. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/6 "2010-06-24T17:41:59Z")
Popcorn and/or [Chex party mix](http://www.chex.com/Recipes/RecipeView.aspx?RecipeId=6709). With that many guests, it’s worth it to make the Chex mix from scratch. Note that you can add popcorn to the mix, instead of or in addition to one of the cereals. Yeah, it’s a cliche, but it’s good. The main problem is that it’s kind of messy. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/7 "2010-06-24T18:39:16Z")
> [@black\_rabbit](#): > > So the future Mrs. Rabbit and I just moved in to a new place. We’re inviting 20-25 friends over for drinks and snacks this Sunday afternoon. It’s going to be pretty informal - we’ll have a couple of cases of beer, a few bottles of wine, and stuff for summer cocktails. I expect people will be randomly dropping by throughout the afternoon, and we’re going to start kicking people out at dinner time. > > I’m what passes for the chef in the relationship, so I’m in charge of the menu. I’m looking for relatively small appetizers that can be mostly prepared the day before, and will hold up well throughout the afternoon. We’re well in to the steamy armpit season in these parts, so I don’t want to spend a ton of time in front of a stove or grill. > > So far, I’ve settled on the following: > > - Fresh dill hummus with toasted pita > - A single round of beef/veggie kebabs to hit the grill about an hour after the party starts > - Mini-onigiri sprinkled/filled with various things > - The usual veggie tray > > Any other ideas? I thought your name was Black Rabb **i** …:smack: Get some sirloin tips and marinate them in your favorite sauce. Grill for 6-7 minutes on a side, and be ready for them to disappear. ---
**Author:** ![NicorGasMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@NicorGasMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicorGasMan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/8 "2010-06-24T18:40:26Z")
To go along with the hummus\kebab theme - couscous. Make a big batch up according to the directions, add some pine nuts, lots of EVOO and cilantro or parsley. People can mix in the veggies and meat from the kebabs. A cheap and tasty filler that can be made ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/9 "2010-06-24T19:41:42Z")
> [@NicorGasMan](#): > > To go along with the hummus\kebab theme - couscous. Make a big batch up according to the directions, add some pine nuts, lots of EVOO and cilantro or parsley. People can mix in the veggies and meat from the kebabs. A cheap and tasty filler that can be made ahead of time. I’m digging the couscous (or maybe couscous + tabbouleh) idea. Plus the tzatziki sauce. At 90 degrees and 90% humidity, it’ll be perfect. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/10 "2010-06-25T04:57:24Z")
Large flour tortillas, spread a mix of cream cheese, chopped black olives and chives, roll up and cover and refridgerate. Before serving slice in bite sized pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/11 "2010-06-25T13:08:55Z")
I think you need something sweet to signal “party’s over, here’s dessert, there’s the door.” IMO, when you serve a sweet item, it lets people know that it’s time to stop eating and drinking. Some little cheesecake bites or even just Popsicles. Otherwise you’ll never get rid of them. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/12 "2010-06-25T13:27:23Z")
Summer sausage with cheese and crackers. Also, huge freakin’ stuffed green olives. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/13 "2010-06-25T13:51:43Z")
Since you’re firing up the grill anyhow, I’d add some skewers of bacon wrapped dates (get the pitted ones!) and some of sliced pineapple. A standard slice of bacon cut in half fits perfectly around your average date, by the way. If you’re feeling fancy, marinate the pineapple slices in some tequila, lime juice, pinch of salt and a touch of brown sugar, first. (And yes, I’ve been known to throw the marinade in a blender with some ice and Sprite when I’m done with it as a marinade!) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/14 "2010-06-25T21:21:52Z")
While you are wrapping bacon… Jalapeno peppers halved, stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Turkey bacon cooks better on the grill. Real bacon in the oven. The cream cheese kills the hot taste of the peppers. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-menu-for-a-sunday-afternoon-drinking-party/544364/15 "2010-06-25T21:35:03Z")
A variation of the above: halved jalapenos stuffed with pimento cheese.