Dinner Party Reminder: Put a Pitcher of Water on the Table

Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella is the author of the essay collection Good Apple and a contributing editor at Southern Living. A former editor at Real Simple and Vogue, she has spent more than 20 years writing about food, travel, home design, and parenting in outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Parents, Martha Stewart Weddings, Coastal Living, Airbnb, and The Kitchn. Elizabeth grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and now lives with her husband and three children in New York City.
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published Nov 24, 2014
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(Image credit: D Squared Photography)

Whether you’re throwing Thanksgiving dinner this week, or just looking forward to cozy parties this winter, take a tip from us: Don’t forget the water! So simple, and yet we rarely take the time to do it. We make sure the wine bottle is on the table, for goodness sake, but a pretty carafe of ice water? Hardly ever.

We love restaurants that leave a bottle of cold water on the table after the waiter fills our glasses. We can refill at will, no need to wait for a server to come do it for you. Why not afford guests the same ease?

No one has to ask (which, really, people never do) or get up from the table and awkwardly fumble through your kitchen (“Oh, do you have a Brita? Or should I just get tap?”). And in the flurry of cooking dinner for guests, we sometimes forget about water altogether, much less refills.

Get a pretty pitcher, fill it with water, and shove it into the fridge while you’re cooking; it’ll be cold by the time dinner is served. Then you can add some lemon if you want (or cucumber, as pictured above, if it’s appropriate with the food).

It’s an extremely simple gesture, but sometimes ample cold water feels like a luxury.

Related: Flat, Bubble, or Flavored: Do You Serve Water with Dinner?

Filed in:
Beverages
Drinks
Entertaining & Gathering
Tips & Techniques