Oscar Party Dinner Ideas

There’s one night that epitomizes the special Hollywood combination of glamour, celebrity, and red-carpet anticipation: the Oscars. It’s an event anticipated not only by movie stars, but also by the movie-going populace; we watch the Best Picture nominees, look forward to the red-carpet looks, and argue about which films are over-hyped and which ones have been overlooked.

Of course, most of us will never clutch that little gold statue while thanking our spouses, parents, or co-stars—most of us are watching from the comforts of our homes, possibly in pajamas. This year, why not take a little Tinseltown excitement for yourself by hosting an Oscar party dinner? Read on for tips about how to host your own celebrity soiree this Oscar season.

Before you can send out invitations, you’ll have to pick a theme for your Oscar party dinner. If you’re a classic film lover, consider an Old Hollywood Glamour theme. Ask your guests to wear formal or cocktail attire, feather boas and (faux) fur encouraged. Assign each guest a classic movie star name (Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn) and make a corresponding place setting at the table with a small picture of the star. Break your guests up into studio teams (MGM, RKO, Paramount) and have them fill out group ballots to compete for the most Oscar-win predictions. Pick up a few statues from your local party store as prizes for the winners.

If you prefer more modern-day films, just tweak your Oscar dinner party theme accordingly—assign each guest a current movie star’s name (Sandra Bullock, George Clooney) and loosen the dress code a bit.

Any movie can also serve as inspiration for a cohesive theme--for a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" theme, ask your female guests to wear little black dresses and pearls, serve pastries, and decorate with pops of turquoise. For a "Great Gatsby" theme, ask your guests to wear 1920s chic, serve mint juleps, and decorate with white votives and fragrant flowers. The theme ideas truly are endless.

Your Oscar party dinner menu is a key part of your event! Since you and your guests will likely be gathered around the television to view the awards, a sit-down dinner may not be ideal. Instead, try a stream of hors d’oeurves and snacks throughout the night, along with themed cocktails.

For the guests who don’t enjoy alcohol, whip up some Shirley Temples; for those who do, offer martinis a la James Bond or some Francis Ford Coppola wine (in case you’re unfamiliar with the reference, he directed “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now”).

For the culinary portion of the evening, start with some fried green tomatoes (green tomatoes can usually be found in upscale grocery stores like Whole Foods) and beef sliders with cheese (call them “Royales” a la “Pulp Fiction”). If you’re feeling ambitious, whip up some beef bourguignonne (“Julie and Julia”) ahead of time and dish it into individual bowls with some crusty bread.

For dessert, consider mini crème brulees (“Amelie”), Sprinkles cupcakes (the favorite sweet of the stars), or red velvet cake (bonus points for shaping it into an armadillo like the one in “Steel Magnolias”).

Of course, these ideas are just jumping-off points—it’s hard to find a film that doesn’t feature at least one meal, so pick your favorite and re-create!

Oscar dinner party decorations can be cheap and fun! Try your local party store for a paper red carpet to roll out from your front door, as well as gold stars in various sizes and mini statues. Write your guests’ names on the stars and use them to decorate. Snap a picture of your guests as they come in the door (posing on the red carpet, of course) for posting to Facebook or another social network.

To go all out, make mini swag-bags for your guests with favors of your choice—fancy chocolates, mini bottles of champagne, even movie tickets!