How Do I Break The Ice Between Guests At A Supper Club?

Coryanne Ettiene is a kitchen living and entertaining expert who appears frequently on-air, in print, and across multiple social media channels sharing her love of kitchen living and entertaining in style. Each week Coryanne answers questions from The Daily Meal's readers on the dilemmas they face while entertaining at home and celebrating the holidays, offering tips for being a confident and modern host.

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Question: "I am hosting my first supper club with people in my building, and most of my guests do not know each other. Do you have any tips on getting the conversations going without having to break out embarrassing party games?"

Coryanne: Successful seating arrangements always make for great conversation. Consider spacing out the people who know each other to ensure that everyone is engaged in conversation, and try to place more talkative guests in the middle of the table to help keep the conversation going throughout the meal. Place cards are essential when hosting a dinner where very few people know each other, and taking the time to write the name on both the back and the front of the card ensures that no one encounters that awkward moment of forgetting someone's name. Using place cards also allows you to place a trivia question or open-ended question like "Which local restaurant has the best brunch menu?" on the inside of the fold, which gives your guests a subtle opportunity to rekindle the conversation.