The CEO of Tasting Table gives his best advice on how to host a great dinner party.
Before following his passion into the arena of food media, Geoff Bartakovics was working in finance as a business manager in fixed income trading at UBS. He says his seven years in banking helped set him up for success when founding Tasting Table, his growing food media empire that focuses on sharing quality recipes, food trends, and longer-form features on must-try restaurants.
We recently visited Bartakovics' home in Soho, Manhattan — a delightful two-story, one-bedroom apartment that's situated in an old carriage house — to find out how he divides his time between his work as CEO of Tasting Table and continuing one of his oldest passions: hosting dinner and cocktail parties.
Below, take a tour of his home and get his best tips for being an excellent dinner host.
Bartakovics' apartment is located across the street from the Tasting Table offices, which makes commuting a breeze.
Since he was a kid, Bartakovics has been cooking. "I was cooking dinner five nights per week starting at age seven," he said. "Psychologically speaking, you get a lot of love and kudos from neighbors and family friends for doing something weird like being the kid who cooks."
While Tasting Table covers all the basis within the food world, Bartakovics' passion lies specifically in playing host, rather than going out. "Waiting 45 minutes for your seat even though you have a reservation is not my core passion," he said.
Since college, he's been hosting dinners and cocktail parties for friends. Today, he's branched out to inviting those within the food and media industry, as well as community influencers, to join in on the occasion.
Making people feel comfortable and welcome is Bartakovics' number one goal while hosting. He's currently reading "The Art of Conversation" to hone his already well-tailored skills. "I'm obsessed with the idea that there is an art to conversation," he said.
"If you invite folks who don't know each other, the obligation is on you to lead the conversation to get people to introduce themselves and make other human connections at the dinner table," he said.
His top suggestion for doing this is to have every guest answer the same question, such as: What was your prom song? What's your summer read, or what's your next vacation?
The game of having guests introduce someone at the table other than themselves also lightens the mood. "If you don't know them, make it up," he said.
Of course, another great tactic is to have a well-stocked bar. He's found that most guests usually go for a strong mixed drink at parties. However if he's going to batch a cocktail his number-one choice is a tequila gimlet. He's also passionate about the appetizers. "Make everything super easy for people to grab," he said. Messy and sloppy apps can make guests feel anxious, especially when they don't know anyone else at the event.
Bartakovics' lessons from playing host all these years will be gathered in his upcoming cookbook, which is filled with recipes and suggestions on how to make guests feel at ease — as well as serve them great food. The book is out in March 2018.
Bartakovics has a few self-imposed rules around dining out. "I have a business breakfast almost every day at Balthazar. I don't believe in business lunches — they interrupt the day," he said.
As for eating at the city's top spots, Bartakovics goes out about once a week. "I try to pull the founder of Tasting Table card as little as possible," he said in reference to making reservations.
"I like restaurants, but I love home entertaining," Bartakovics said. He's a true host at heart.
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