For the first few months of the year, gatherings are about sports. From the Super Bowl to the Olympics to March Madness, we love to post up in front of the TV with a buddy and a bucket of snacks. But for those who would rather watch perfect physical specimens parade in couture and stilettos than jerseys and ski boots, there’s the Academy Awards, coming up on March 15. Make Hollywood’s biggest night a decent-sized one of your own and throw your own Oscars party.
Think of a theme
A general Hollywood glamor vibe is the easiest to pull off: Invite guests to don those fancy ‘fits they never wear and pose in front of a Dollar Tree tinsel backdrop before settling in with Champagne, popcorn and Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue. You can also choose a specific film as inspiration.
How faithfully you follow a theme can vary. You may choose to plan a snack and a T-shirt based on it. Or you can go all out with a themed menu, specialty cocktail and character costumes. Consider what you have time for.
This year’s nominees can provide some ideas. Sinners lends itself to Southern delights such as fried catfish and chicken wings; Sista Kim’s Kitchen (2570 E. Tropicana Ave., instagram.com/sistakimskitchen) or Gritz Cafe (1911 Stella Lake St. #150, gritzcafe.com) can hook you up with takeout. Crack open a bottle of whiskey and, once the awards have been handed out, have a dance party.
Marty Supreme calls for New York deli standards such as pastrami and knishes with cheesecake for dessert; CinCityCheesecakes (2987 Las Vegas Blvd. North #17, cincitycheesecakes.com) offers multiple sizes and flavors from apple crumble to white chocolate. A ping-pong table is probably out, but rubber band paddleball toys are nice party favors.
You can also look to classic cinema. Federico Fellini’s epically chic La Dolce Vita grants the opportunity to eat Italian food and drink wine while wearing sunglasses. Throwback '80s and '90s teen comedies like Sixteen Candles or Clueless feature big party scene inspo. Sci-fi space flicks from Forbidden Planet to Star Wars can be celebrated with brightly colored beverages and gelatinous desserts.
If you’re just sitting at home alone on the couch, you can put on a bathrobe, pour a few small beers and have your own One Battle After Another shindig. Or, set the scene for your own F1 party by blocking your front door with wire fencing.
Bites and Bevs
The awards themselves can also provide menu ideas. Strip dining hero Wolfgang Puck has been catering the Governor’s Ball (the official Oscars after-party) for over three decades. The offerings are mostly elevated comfort food: lobster corn dogs and “bougie tots,” aka tater tots topped with sour cream and caviar … dishes designed to please someone who’s spent the last two months dieting their way into a size 4 Chanel.
Consider it an opportunity to create your own Hollywood version of a Vegas buffet. If you’re entertaining on a budget, both Grocery Outlet and Aldi both offer reasonable prices on staples as well as spread-elevating bites such as Japanese corn muffins shaped like ears of corn or Girl Scout cookie cupcakes.
For beverages, bubbly in a flute is a staple of any tinseltown celebration, whether Champagne, Prosecco, cider or ginger ale. Martinis are a classic that can be pre-mixed by the pitcher and rendered more of-the-moment with savory garnishes like cornichons or stuffed olives. Another beverage to pre-prepare (and pre-portion) is Jell-o shots, which you can buy in the store or make in your favorite colors and flavors, with or without edible glitter. And an assortment of sodas and seltzers offer choice for your alcohol-abstaining guests and mixers for those who are indulging.
Make it fun
A little action keeps guests engaged through a few dozen envelope openings. Of course you can have everyone fill out a ballot with their predicted winners and give a prize for the most correct guesses. You can also create a bingo game with an online card generator. Enter the nominees and perhaps a few other events that might happen during the ceremony, such as “God thanked in speech” or “joke flops” or “facelift male” or “Leonardo DiCaprio’s date was born after he received his first Oscar nomination” (which was in 1993, so you could probably make that the free space). After all, whether it’s the awards or the awards party, no one likes going home empty handed.
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