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There’s something incredibly American, for better or worse, about a group of people standing around outdoors holding red Solo cups full of various liquids. It’s casual! It’s summery! Red is one of the colors on our very strange nation’s flag! But it also makes you feel like you’re at a frat party, which—just trust me on this one—is not the vibe you want when you’re hosting a party for adults.
If you are planning, at any point this summer, to throw one of those parties, it’s time to upgrade your outdoor dinnerware. The cookout supplies you usually buy at the corner store aren’t just cheap and amateur looking—they often genuinely don’t work. Flimsy paper plates collapse under single-patty burgers; napkins disintegrate at the tiniest hint of beer or barbecue sauce; forks snap in the hands of anyone who can bench more than 20 pounds. Also, these things are usually pretty ugly.
Listen. You’re already wearing your best nouveau-Hawaiian shirt. You got good hamburgers from the fancy butcher, which you're serving on decidedly non-fancy buns. You spent an hour putting together your playlist (just kidding, you cribbed Mahershala Ali’s playlist). You want your guests to feel like you take some pride in what’s going on, but no sane person is ever going to bring their nice dinner plates and flatware and cups outside for a barbecue and then wash them afterwards. Get the good disposable plates. You'll feel like a real adult.
The easiest way to make all your friends think “wow, damn, what a stylish cookout” is to serve their grass-fed burgers on plates that look like they come from some understated museum café. In reality, they come from Need Supply (of course) and are both beautiful and ergonomically designed. The rim of the plate swerves once, to accommodate your hand; this keeps you from having to fold the plate slightly, as if it were a slice of pizza, to keep everything contained. They are also compostable, which means your most tree-hugging friends will be happy.
Get rid of the Solo cups. (Or, if you must, save them for a late-night drinking game.) These minimalist cups are big enough to fit a generous serving of wine, or cocktail, or even seltzer, for when you need to take a break. And yes, they’re biodegradable too.
Linen likes will change your life. They’re far sturdier than a paper towel or a flimsy paper napkin—in fact, some professional kitchens use them to wipe errant bits of sauce off plates and clean small kitchen spills. Next to a place setting or stacked together, they fold neatly and crisply. They will absorb all barbecue-related stains far better than their competitors, and will make your next dinner party (or even solo dinner by yourself) a little more grownup-feeling.
You’re going to be throwing all this stuff out at the end of the night. That’s part of the plan. How much guilt you want those big plastic bags to make you feel is up to you: if you want to avoid the dreaded plastics, go for something biodegradable, and you won't lay awake at night worrying about your party's carbon footprint. (Also, these are a lot more attractive than the awkwardly-shaped bamboo versions you'll often find.)