Welcome to the latest edition of Come On Over, Food52 editorial director Julie Vadnal's newsletter that's all about hosting gatherings big and small—without losing your cool. Got company? Sign up here for her emails.
I’ll share a secret with you: I prefer Friendsgiving over Thanksgiving. It’s not that I don’t love my family (I do!) but there’s a communal casualness to gathering with friends that you don’t quite get on the big day itself. My rule for corralling friends for an early turkey day? I make it a potluck, so I only have to provide the bird—and the table setting, of course. But I’ll let you in on a second secret: setting the scene with the just-right mix of tableware is my favorite part.