Categories: Eat & Drink; Shopping

Throw a 1950s Dinner Party in New York

By aliciak
updated 2 months ago

For quite a while, I've been convinced that I came into the world in the wrong decade. The 1980s? High-tops...slap-bracelets...VHS, yes I love all those things, but I'm pretty sure I was born to be a homemaker with a toddler grabbing at my ankles, sipping an egg cream at the neighborhood stainless steel diner, wearing a full calf-length skirt and elegant white gloves. I know, stop living in the past! But a girl can dream...or rather, recreate what's left of the 1950s by throwing a dinner party appropriate to this decade, can't she?

Why the 1950s?

Just to clarify, it’s not that I love the generally conservative air that pervaded the 50s; rather, I’m looking superficially at this decade: Elvis, shiny diners, hula hoops, ambitious desserts and poodle skirts.

There’s just something cookie cutter perfect on the outside about this era (minus the Korean War and Suez Crisis) that appeals to me, even though housewives were stifled and it was the calm before the storm (the 60s!). One imagines it always looking like a scene out of a movie that was already dated when it was happening.

Levittown, NY

This is where the 1950s began! Okay, not really, but Levittown was where the idea of “suburbia” took off. A large planned community in Long Island, Levittown is known for its curvaceous spread of homes and cookie cutter look. THIS was the American Dream, right in New York City’s backyard. If you live in something that resembles the above, your 1950s dinner party is all the more appropriate!

She's Got The Look

One could buy modern versions of 1950s furniture, clothing and accessories to really set the scene, but I’d prefer to spend 1950s prices. Luckily, the confining nature of New York living spaces results in toss-outs and stoop sale finds, so you may be able to recreate a 50s feel in your home very much on the cheap. A more organized but DISorganized option is to hit the flea markets where you’re sure to find a lot of vendors who grew up in this decade and are decluttering.

Greenflea Inc

100 W 77th St, New York, NY 10024

Greenflea’s space is undergoing some renovation for who knows how long, so it’s split up amongst a couple of venues. Confusing! But there’s more vintage jewelry than I’ve ever seen at a single flea market and the sellers will entertain you with stories of their youth so that you can better understand the decade at hand. They may even call you a “whippersnapper!”

Ps 321 William Penn School

180 Seventh Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

My neighborhood flea market! It’s there every Saturday and Sunday, but once and a while it’s a ghost town, i.e., no vendors. There are pyrex sets as seen above, vintage aprons and linens (that look oh so beautiful when they blow in the wind) and the guy on one end sells some furniture from yesteryear. The sad thing about NYC flea markets is that you can’t often find real deals, as renting spaces if pricey for these folks.

Annex Antique Fair & Flea Mkt

123 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

This is the biggie! Lots and lots of treasures, and while a lot of the dealers are selling high-ticket items, you’ll find bargains if you sift through. Look for the caked-on make-up woman with a look straight out of the 50s and wares to match.

A little background music...

...to set the 1950s mood! It was all about Elvis, Perry Como, Buddy Holly, the jazz greats and Chuck Berry. Time to dig out that record player, or dust off the one you just bought at the flea market. I feel old thinking back to the early days of my own childhood (again, the 80s!) when we had a record player and only a few cassette tapes, the next bit of musical recording technology that hadn’t caught on, at least in our house. Below are ACTUAL record stores, not records stores that sell CDs only.

The Casserole...

...is kind of gross, no? I’ll admit that I don’t love the idea of casseroles, almost always consisting of some type of canned cream soup. Ick. Add in some frozen veggies, meat and top with cheese and you’ve got yourself a “home-cooked” 1950s dinner, ready for the breadwinner when he walks in the door after a long day at the office.

Is the casserole making a return to the 2000s culinary forefront? God I hope not, but New York IS home to “Casserole Crazy,” a blogger’s bloggy blog and then a book of the same name. Emily, a casserole-lover brings us her annual casserole party in Brooklyn, as she is “committing her life to creating and discovering original casserole recipes.” HER LIFE, people! This girl means business.

The Menu

It’s all about simple yet filling meals, made from mostly pre-packaged or canned ingredients, which runs counter to the way I cook, but oh well. Homemakers were buying “modern conveniences” that made running a household, including the kitchen, a lot easier. Sooooo, this should work well for the typical New York kitchen, which is short on space but long on “conveniences” (most likely). And if you’re the typical New Yorker, you have NO time…opening up a can or two sounds right up your alley.

Theme Party!

You can throw a dinner party that is a hodgepodge of 50s food, fun and decor, or you could have a party that would have actually been thrown IN the 50s! Some common theme parties were:

Hawaiian Buffet (think leis everywhere and pineapple cake)
traditional backyard barbecue (only men can grill, ladies)
Happy Days/Grease party (ice cream parlor fare)

If you want to stick to the former though…

Products ONLY introduced in the 50s party (Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell, Minute rice, Ore-Ida foods, cheeze whiz, Butterball turkeys, Ruffles, Cocoa Puffs, and just about every other fast food chain you know)