We just can’t stay away from the Parachute Hotel in Venice. Following our week of beautiful wreath workshops in the well-designed new space, we gathered again for a cozy evening with one of our fave food contributors Haute Chefs LA and the ladies of How You Glow.

Our guests dined on delicata squash avocado toast and rose petal festooned flatbreads while we basked in the glow of so much candle light and the view of Venice at night.

Tara and Jessie of How You Glow helped us put together a playlist that kept the good vibes coming and the florists from MJ Design had tucked florals everywhere, including the vines hung over the dinner table.

We’re sharing one of the elegant recipes we loved best from our evening – a plant-based side that is complex, impressive and completely delicious. But first, our own recipe for a cozy holiday party is as follows…

The Guest List: Naturally, invite those you truly want to connect with. Don’t worry too much about syncing up guests who are compatible – if you set the right tone, guests will follow suit.

Set The Tone: Set the tone and build expectation from the invitation to the entry. Don’t forget the power of a first impression: plan on delighting guests as they arrive by having lights dimmed, music on and cocktails at the ready!

Set the Pace: Especially here in LA, where traffic can change your guests arrival times in a heartbeat, leave plenty of time for guests to arrive, mingle, wind down and enjoy light bites before sitting for dinner.

Get Centered: Sure, dinner is all about the food. But we can’t overstress the power of a good centerpiece to make a dinner party truly special. For this evening, the use of tapers and small bouquets captured everyone’s attention and made the table feel full, lush and welcoming.