What makes a successful holiday party?

When you rehash a night at a 2 star Michelin restaurant, the first thing out of your mouth should not be, "Can you believe his date hooked up with the printer's girlfriend?!" Even if an incident like this did occur; the food should at least follow shortly behind. When I recount the events of my company's Christmas party at Del Posto, the food doesn't come at a close second or even a trailing third to the entertainment. In fact, the only comments I have made about the food was how disappointed I was in it and how I left most of my main course over. Understandably, it was a set menu, which always downgrades the quality, but I can't even say there was anything that stood out. The salad was salty, the lobster risotto just okay, and the arctic char tasted more like a fishy salmon. I can pick out a few passed hors d'oeuvres that I liked- like the fried gnocchi with proscuitto or the portabella mushroom bites--but I will soon forget them. The wine, on the other hand, was fabulous. But then again, the wine was part the reason that all the drama occurred.

When you bring a date to a company event, I think most people know to pick their date carefully. If it's a significant other, I hope you've already put some thought into this, as they are partly a reflection of you. When you have a choice of friends or acquaintances to bring, you might want to think about it a little harder. I don't think my coworker who we will call "Bad-date guy" put much though into this as he brought his 'craziest' friend. "She is really good at picking up girls," he told me the next day--as if I hadn't already figured this out from the company Christmas party. Not only did she hit on other co-worker's boyfriends, lustily lean into the bartender when ordering a drink, and recount drunken pole dancing stories about bad-date guy, but she also hit on one of our vendor's girlfriends who apparently was into girls as well. Within 10 minutes of talking to each other, they were making out in the downstairs lobby of Del Posto--and then brought it to the bathroom stall. Wow, that's classy. It's pretty hard to envision this if you've ever been to the establishment because the place is beautiful. Long winding staircases and marble and then behind one of the columns you could find bad-date-guy's date smooching with the printer's girlfriend. But his date did not stop there-- she then decided to take a stab at the owner of the company and his wife. Way to go bad-date-guy! You know how to pick a winner and look professional all at the same time!

However, regardless of the distaste and the mediocre food- if asked was the party a success? I could only reply-Why yes...why yes it was- great success!