Holiday entertaining 101 with member Patrick Janelle

If there’s one word that describes Patrick Janelle’s style, it’s “eclectic” — a single adjective that by definition, perhaps ironically, also resists absolute, one-word descriptions. ‘I've brought together things from various places, so there's not necessarily one seamless style,’ he explains, ‘but when you can bring things together that you love, it all starts to work.’ 

 

Janelle’s apartment in New York’s SoHo neighborhood — filled with books, candles and artwork — is a museum of keepsakes from the far-flung travels he shares on Instagram, with his near half a million followers. Known on the platform as @aguynamedpatrick, Janelle curates experiences (both on his feed and through his event series, “The Gathering”) that, like his handle, are similarly understated and elegant. Here, he shares his tips for hosting during the holidays:

‘I have a small, one-bedroom apartment. It’s cozy — so cozy that I can't have more than six people over at a time. When I’m entertaining, I’ll either have four to six people over for one meal, or, I’ll cook throughout the day, inviting people to come over any time that they're free.

‘I'm a huge believer that Thanksgiving is a time to invite people you may not know as well, or who don't otherwise have friends or family in town. I love having an eclectic mix of guests. One year, I was getting coffee on Thanksgiving morning, and my barista was working until the coffee shop closed that afternoon. I asked what he was doing after, and when he said “nothing,” I invited him over for Thanksgiving dinner. That, I feel, embodies the true spirit of both Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving’ 

‘I’ll either have something super easy to prepare, like an amaro spritz, which is three ingredients. Or, you can make any cocktail, pre-batch it, and it'll be delicious. In the past, I’ve also offered guests the opportunity to make their own, but a lot of times I find that people are uncomfortable making cocktails because they don't have a lot of experience doing it themselves. To remedy that, I like to have a few different ingredients set up with menu cards and instructions on how to make them.’

‘When it comes to cocktail selection, there are two directions you can go. One is spritzy and light — since everything else [on Thanksgiving] is going to be very filling and heavy. The second option is to do a wintertime drink: a whiskey-based cocktail (like a whiskey sour) or something a little boozier, like one of my favorite drinks, a blood and sand, which is scotch-based. When it comes to recipes, I created an app called the The Liquor Cabinet. It’s a great resource if you don't have a wide knowledge of cocktails — we’ve got 120 classic recipes on there.’

‘There are certain favorite cookbook recipes really fitting for Thanksgiving that I've used time and time again, but I'm more interested in being creative and exploring new dishes. One year we did an all-vegetarian Thanksgiving; we didn't even do a protein. I think that that's really fun, because my favorite thing is the side dishes, anyway. One year, we cooked duck instead of turkey. While I love traditions, it's interesting to think about what you actually want and what you really love, rather than feeling like you're bound to have specific things.’

‘I don't think that you need to have a special moment of the year to indulge. I think you should give yourself permission to know the things that you really love and are fulfilling for you, and be willing to indulge in those things regularly. For me, I love good food. I'm going to indulge in having good food, whether that's by cooking at home or going to a restaurant I love — I don't necessarily need to wait for a special occasion. It's more important for me to indulge in a moment when I feel like that would be really fulfilling.’

‘The most important thing is that I have a strong connection to the things I bring into my home, either aesthetically or experientially. However, you also need to not be afraid to get rid of things, especially when you're in a small apartment. I feel really strongly about not holding on to things just because you think you have a sentimental attachment to something, but instead keeping things that really do (in the words of Marie Kondo) spark joy.’