{NYC Entertaining} Holiday Bagel Brunch

As promised, I have a special post today building on the fabulous NYC Entertaining series I have been working on with Clara over on Channeling Contessa. It is easy to get overwhelmed when planning a brunch, especially around the holidays. Well, we have the perfect solution…a bagel brunch. With a flexible menu and an easy set-up, we will have you ready to welcome any number of guests in no time at all. Clara and I are dividing and conquering our posts this time around, with Clara doing what she does best–coming up with an amazing menu of quick and mouthwatering spreads. As for me, I focused my attention on pulling together a festive table-setting that’s perfect for Christmas Morning or even New Year’s Day. Here is how to get the look…

{Décor }

• Centerpiece: Silver-leaf branches; lay them down the center of the table.
• Votive candles: Fill in empty space with a little, soft glow of a candle…always helps to bring the table together.
• Chargers: A great alternative to using platters, and they’re super inexpensive. The metallic ones above were .99 cents from Michaels!
• Cutting board: Protect your table from your toaster with a slate or wood cutting board.
• Pop of color: Clementine’s and fresh cranberries in various containers around the table.

{How to Set it Up}

• Double-Sided Buffet: I am a big fan of using the double-sided buffet whenever possible. It allows my guests to mingle and freely access the food without the worry of having a line. I created two sets–one with bagels and the other with the salmon and tomatoes using chargers.
• Spreads: Place them in various ramekins and jars near the center of the table so both sides can access them.
• Toaster: Who says it needs to stay in the kitchen? Bring out the toaster and let your guests toast their bagels right at the table so you can avoid running around trying to keep toasted bagels hot.
• Beverage Tray: Place coffee and mimosas in a tray at the end of the buffet and be sure to also have a pitcher of water on hand.
• Serve ware: Plates, napkins, and silverware can go at the beginning of the buffet

Now that the table is set, pop over to Clara’s site to get all the details on how to pull together the perfect bagel brunch menu. Trust me when I say, the herbed cream cheese spread is a little bite of heaven.

All photographs by John Dolan.