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Party Planning Home > French Bistro Party French Bistro Party Looking for something different? Delight your friends with a French Bistro Party. Good themes have food, decorations and music associated with them and this one has it all. You won't have to go to Paris to bring the flavors of the city to your home or venue. Try this theme for multiple occasions, including birthdays, retirement, bon voyage, wedding showers, and even anniversary parties. The creative Bistro Party theme invites your guests to experience a journey to one of France’s most popular places: The Bistro.
Bistros are small, informal restaurants, where French people like to meet and enjoy traditional cuisine around a carafe of the house wine with the friendly chatter of diners in the background. A comfortable atmosphere is what makes Bistros such a success and will be the main ingredient for your party. With hundreds of Party America stores, you will find all that you need for this unique party. Everything Begins With A Creative Invitation
With Party America’s custom invitations you can let go with your creativity and personalize your message. Start by inviting your guests to the grand opening of your own Bistro. In France, Bistro's are typically named by using the first name of the owner with the preceding “chez” meaning: “at”.
Simply list the name of your Bistro “Chez Mary” or “Chez Jeff”, for example, on the invitation, and request that your guests call and make a reservation. Don’t forget to ask them to come dressed with Parisian clothes such as scarves and berets which the French are famous for. Create The Parisian Ambiance
Tableware Set up small, round tables. Burgundy or white tablecovers with white paper tablecovers on top will set the tone. Then match our Cabernet paper plates and napkins with our elegant silver disposable cutlery to give a chic twist to your table tops.
To perfect the illusion you can even put posters of the Eiffel tower behind the window blinds. Voila! You are now launching a Bistro with a view!
Lighting & Decorating
Lighting is key. Put small votives and fresh flowers on each table and hang decorative lanterns from the ceiling. The finishing touch will be to place a table card with "Reserved" on the table. Keep in mind that Bistros are casual, so do things simply. The flowers should be freshly picked, and placed in small, decorative vases.
The predominant colors of Bistros are black and burgundy (the delicate wine color). Use them to decorate the room! Party America offers balloons in a rich array of colors, so pick them as you would flowers and create festive balloon bouquets inexpensively. Music
For the final touch put on some French music. The accordion is a major part of French musical heritage. An excellent choice would be “Edith Piaf”, the great French singer of the early century, which is easy to find on Amazon. The soundtrack to Moulin Rouge would work as well. French Treats In Bistro style, list your menu on a chalkboard for the evening and make mouths water. Dinner can be approached a variety of ways, depending on the number of guests and the budget you have. You can serve “amuse-gueule”: croissants, baguettes, Brie, fresh fruit, crème brûlée, French toast, crêpes, salami, pate, quiche and cafe. Another option is to exercise you culinary talents with more elaborate three courses dishes if you are a “cordon bleu” as we say in French (a fine cook). These gourmet dishes (not as complicated as you think) are made of Escargots, foie gras, onion soup, duck leg confit, filet mignon and many more delicious ingredients. Another thought is to go for traditional Bistro fare which includes French Fries With Garlic Mayonaise, Fresh Steamed Mussels in White Wine, a Frisee Salad, and Crusty French Bread. Steamed Mussels in White Wine and Parsley 6 pounds fresh mussels, preferably small
2 cups dry white wine
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 pound unsalted butter
Pepper Wash and sort the mussels, pulling off any pieces of protruding beard. Combine the wine, shallots, and thyme in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add the mussels, cover the pot, and turn the heat up to high. When water boils, turn the heat back down to medium. Leave the covered pot on the heat for 5 minutes more. Take a long handled spoon and stir the mussels gently. Cook for 2 minutes more. Check to see if all of the mussels have opened. If not, cover and cook for more minutes. Remove the lid, cool for a minute and scoop the mussels out of the pot with a large slotted spoon. Place in hot bowl. If any mussels have not opened, discard them as they are not suitable for eating. Make surethe liquid at the bottom is not sandy. If so, pour off the liquid into a saucepan, being careful to leave the debris behind. Add the chopped parsley to the hot liquid and whisk in the butter and season with pepper. Ladle the heated broth over the hot mussels. Serve with slices of crusty french bread and a warm frisee salad. Entertainment To entertain your guests, set up a wine or champagne tasting session (ask a local wine shop owner to come and make a presentation). Finally, once stomachs are full and it’s getting time to close the doors of your trendy Bistro, you can hand out some thank you gifts to your first and surely loyal clients. Party Favors
Party America carries pretty wine bottle bags, little wine glass charms to decorate glasses and many more elegant party favors. We also have a large selection of custom gift bags with unique detailing You now have the recipe for a successful Chic Paris Bistro Party. “Que la fete commence!!” (Let the party begin!)
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