Hosting an Oscars Party

Here’s Your Guide to Some of Our Best Recipes and the Movies

By TC Martin, Edible DC Contributor

Courtesy of Pexels

This Sunday, February 24th, the 91st Academy Awards ceremony will take place in the Dolby Theater in downtown Hollywood. If your tickets got lost in the mail like mine did, this guide is for you! Why not host our own Oscars party? It can be as exciting as attending the real event—and you get to spend the evening with your friends instead of fighting tooth and nail for a selfie with any of the nominees or god forbid, a Kardashian.

If decide to gather a gang and host your own Oscars party this awards season, remember that when it comes down to it, all great Oscars parties involve just three basic elements: the food, the viewing, and the details. If you ace those, your evening is sure to be fun and memorable (so long as your favorite nominee doesn’t get robbed).

Part I: The Food 

Recipes abound for Oscars parties, but a quick perusal of what’s out there reveals countless popcorn-heavy menus, as well as platters of shareable appetizers that would better serve a Superbowl party than an Oscars party.

This year, Edible DC rounded up some of our best recipes for home entertaining.

Winter Rosemary Galette

Just yum. If this was your favorite movie, perhaps you will agree that something savory, elegant and slightly exotic is needed here. Make a Winter Rosemary Galettes featuring squash, goat cheese and prosciutto. It can serve four people, or it can be cut into smaller slices to be shared as an appetizer.

Chicken Andouille and Shrimp Jambalaya

This Chicken, Andouille, and Shrimp Jambalaya recipe from Executive Chef Rusty Holman at Bayou can be made in large batches and served with cornbread and a green salad to satisfy a large gathering.

Coconut Poached Chicken Bon Choy Salad

Chef Johanna Hellrigl, of Doi Moi, shared this delightful recipe for Coconut Poached Chicken Bok Choy Salad last year. Showcasing Thai chilies, fresh herbs, and bright flavors like lime and coconut, this salad serves four, and can be made in larger batches for bigger groups.

Wadi Rum Cocktail

On the topic of this incredible Wadi Rum Cocktail, Chris Hassaan Francke, owner of the Green Zone in Adams Morgan, said “It’s boozy, it’s hot, it’s smoky, and it’s a little bit of sweet. What more do you want in a wintertime drink?”

Tuscany Country Soup

This Tuscan Country Soup from Jim Courtovich makes a flavorful soup with finely chopped pancetta to keep you warm during the winter months. Top with as much freshly-grated Parmesan as you heart desires.

Italian Love Cake

Pay homage to Lady Gaga’s Oscar nominations for Best Original Song and Best Actress by dishing up a dessert that echoes Gaga’s Italian ancestry: this Italian Love Cake serves eight to ten.

Part II: The Viewing

On Sunday, February 24th, red carpet coverage of the Oscars will begin at 6:30 pm EST, followed by the awards at 8:00 pm EST. The Oscars will air live on ABC, so for those of you who haven’t cut the cable cord yet, watching this Sunday’s awards ceremony will be as easy as flipping to Channel 7 on your TV. If you’re streaming on a device, things get a bit trickier. Nobody wants technical difficulties to cut your Oscars viewing before it even begins, so it’s best to make your streaming plan ahead of time. If you’re streaming on a device but still have access to a cable subscription, ABC’s streaming service ABC Go will let you stream the Oscars for free. If you don’t have access to a cable subscription, live TV streaming services are your best bet. Hulu with Live TV will let you stream ABC and watch the awards live (Hulu offers a free one-week trial), but other sites like fuboTV and Sling TV won’t give you access to ABC’s coverage.

Part III: The Details

The food and the viewing are crucial to your Oscars party; what makes the night not merely enjoyable but memorable, however, are the extra details. Here is where your creativity can shine through. Try giving your guests hand-lettered paper invitations instead of a Facebook event request or a quick text; it’ll last longer and mean much more to them. Consider crafting your own film-themed cocktails if you’ve got the time and extra hands, or put a new Hollywood twist on some of your reliable drink recipes with anything from simple garnishes to flashy glitter (be sure to buy the edible variety, though). And although there’s no reason to break the bank for one night of Hollywood glamour, bring together some décor that evokes the very event you’re celebrating. Accents like specialty drink glasses, coasters, drink carts, fresh flowers, candles, and anything else you feel adds ambience to your entertainment space are sure to be appreciated by your guests.

Keep these three elements (food, viewing, and details) in mind, and your party Sunday night is sure to be a blockbuster! If you’re looking to go out to watch the Oscars, there’s no shortage of events happening in the DC area. Commissary DC is offering an Oscars Night mixology class at their P Street location where guests will learn how to make three Oscar-themed cocktails, and Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill in Georgetown is hosting an Oscar in Style Soirée featuring “several epicurean treats from Dyllan’s menu, passed assortment of hand rolled sushi, and bubbly served all night long.” Other Oscars-related events can be found here.