Mark Duke, a man of many talents, is a real estate agent who has an eye for antiques and beautiful collections that he finds in shops and antique markets while traveling abroad. He is also a fabulous cook and an effortless host. Mark hosts everything from Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations to Sunday night family dinners. We recently attended his annual Lobster Dinner to learn some tips for entertaining.
Mark believes it’s important to be as organized as possible when planning a party. Make a schedule of chores to be accomplished, create a shopping list and try to get as much done ahead of time as possible. But, he says, “The main thing about throwing a dinner party is don’t stress. It’ll work out. If it doesn’t, then forget it.” He believes once the first guest arrives, relax and enjoy your evening. If you forgot to do something, then let it go and forget about it.
Choose your theme:
Mark’s aunt and uncle lived in Maine but wintered in Florida. They used to order lobsters from their corner market in Maine to ship down to Florida during the winter months. That was the inspiration for Mark’s initial lobster dinner. It was so well received that it became a tradition.
The lobster theme can be seen throughout the table decorations and even in Mark’s wardrobe. He loves to antique and shop estate sales, so he picks up fun lobster paraphernalia whenever possible. He even found lobster socks to wear with his Nantucket Reds. All in on the lobster theme!
Mark says it’s also important to plan according to your style. If you prefer a more casual evening, then make your dinner party a potluck and have everyone eat on their laps. If you enjoy a more formal approach, then set your dining table using your fine china and sterling silver. Choose whatever style party that you will enjoy more. This lobster dinner is a combination of casual and formal and is potluck in style. Everyone pays for their own lobster and each person brings either a side dish or wine to contribute to the evening.
Build your guest list:
In this instance, there are four original party planners for the 12-14 person dinner party. Mark Duke, Sheri Wilson, Danette Watkins and June Nolendorf play bridge weekly and these four planned the original lobster dinner six years ago. The rest of the guest list changes slightly from year to year.
Create the menu:
The menu for Mark’s lobster dinner has not changed much over the years. He always orders and cooks the lobsters. The lobsters are shipped live, so they make clicking and “singing” noises in the box, which can cause quite a thrill to the Ware Jones office staff where the lobsters are shipped. The core four bring the same dishes each year comprising the majority of the menu, while the other guests bring wine and other contributions.
Set the table and decorate:
Mark sets the table the day before the party. In this case, he puts newspaper on the table that serves as the tablecloth and placemats that have instructions on how to properly crack and eat a lobster. He sets a bib at every place. Mark does the centerpiece flowers himself the morning of the party, because they can change overnight.
Enjoy the evening:
Mark steams the lobsters for about 20 minutes once the guests have arrived and serves them with melted butter and lemon. He also serves his homemade, crusty French bread. June brings the appetizers, Danette the coleslaw and Sheri brings fried corn. Mark also makes Justine’s Grace Lotus ice cream for dessert to serve with Sheri’s homemade cookies.
Throughout the evening, each guest raved about Mark being the perfect host. Clearly, he had prepared diligently for the night, but once the party began it was time to stop working and enjoy his guests, which he did beautifully. Even as the party ramped up, he kept an even keel. According to June Nolendorf, “Mark just knows how to entertain; he never gets stressed. Years ago, he was making a curry sauce and dropped it on the floor. He had to go back to the grocery store and start over, but he never got ruffled.” Mark’s advice for how to host a holiday party can also be applied to a broader approach in life: organize and prepare, do your best to get everything done, but when something doesn’t work, don’t worry about it. Let it go and have fun!
"The main thing about throwing a dinner party is don't stress. It'll work out."