Hosting a dinner party is infinitely more enjoyable when you have a partner in crime by your side to help curate the playlist, manage the guest list, keep the conversation and the drinks flowing, and generally take a load off the planning process. There is something uniquely comforting about having a dear friend serve as your co-host and cleanup accomplice as the late hours of the night wind down. That sense of camaraderie and shared effort is the fundamental spirit behind Table Mates, an ongoing series where a stellar group of creative minds are invited to plan and execute their absolute dream soirees while letting us in on the secrets of how they pull it all off.
Mary Celeste Beall, the owner of the renowned Blackberry Farm, certainly knows a thing or two about curating an abundant, jaw-dropping cheese board—and for her, the star ingredients of any great gathering are also notably easy to source locally. The family farm, nestled in the picturesque landscape of Walland, Tennessee, dates back half a century and has built a stellar reputation for producing small-batch, artisanal sheep’s milk cheeses that capture the rustic elegance of the region. Today, overflowing charcuterie boards have become foundational elements to the parties she hosts, including a recent dinner gathering she put on alongside her close friend and Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessie Baylin.
Beall and Baylin first crossed paths more than 10 years ago during a dinner party hosted at the farm, where they immediately bonded over a shared appreciation for music, family life, and personal style. Last month, the two friends decided to take their creative connection a step further by co-hosting a farmhouse-style meal at the estate’s Grain Bin, a charming venue where the farm regularly hosts whiskey tastings. At the center of the communal table sat a large, round charcuterie board featuring no fewer than four distinct cheeses, savory prosciutto, fresh figs, fruit jam, and artisanal crackers. Gilded tea lights cast a warm, flickering glow across the setting, while a rich blue floral tablecloth created a sophisticated base for pewter chargers and delicate porcelain dinnerware. As guests settled into the space, coupes of green Chartreuse were passed around on a gleaming golden tray, establishing a tone of effortless luxury from the very first moment.
The aesthetic of the evening was undeniably pretty and elegant, yet Beall made a conscious effort to keep the rest of the atmosphere relaxed and unpretentious, allowing the night to evolve organically. The exact recipe for a successful party often features different ingredients depending on which host you ask. For Beall, the ideal menu usually means a comforting lasagna, a massive, crisp salad, and a selection of great wine to keep glasses full. Baylin, on the other hand, typically leans toward bringing in a private chef for larger occasions and serving batched martinis that require minimal fuss once guests arrive. Even with their slightly different hosting styles, the two are completely aligned on one essential detail: they always serve their food family style to encourage passing, sharing, and a sense of communal warmth.
What’s on the Menu?
When discussing their ideal approach to food, the Tennessee duo offered clear insights into how they balance comfort with sophistication. Mary Celeste Beall noted that she is fundamentally a lasagna and big salad kind of person. She loves to kick off an evening with great appetizers so she can actually enjoy the company of her guests, followed by dishes that are easy to heat and serve rather than forcing her to juggle complex cooking tasks while people are gathered in her home. Jessie Baylin approaches the kitchen with a similar flexibility, explaining that if a gathering is casual and strictly among her dearest friends, she prefers to cook the meal herself. However, if they are celebrating a major milestone like a milestone birthday or hosting friends visiting from out of town, she loves bringing in a private chef so she can genuinely relax, soak in the evening, and avoid waking up to a messy kitchen the next morning.
What’s the Most Important Element of a Dinner Table?
For Beall, creating the right environment comes down to physical comfort and mood. She loves cozy seating arrangements where every single person at the table can hear one another clearly and feel fully included in the dialogue. Proper lighting is another non-negotiable factor for setting the mood, making a generous scattering of candles an absolute must for any dinner party she plans.
Baylin places her primary focus on the human element, noting that the people surrounding the table are obviously the most crucial component. However, she is also a firm believer in the power of assigned seating. In her view, when guests arrive at someone’s home for dinner, they should not have to experience any awkward hesitation about where to sit. Instead, they should be able to walk in, relax immediately, settle into their designated spot, and fully immerse themselves in the pleasures of the evening without overthinking the logistics.
Name Your Ideal Hosting Gift
When asked about the etiquette of bringing a gift for the host, Beall suggested that if someone is a genuinely good cook, bringing a unique and fun appetizer is a wonderful gesture. If culinary arts are not their strong suit, high-end cheese, premium nuts, or artisanal chocolates are always warmly welcomed, serving either as a special treat for later or something to be enjoyed right alongside the evening’s drinks.
Baylin prefers gifts that tell a story, specifically highlighting small culinary treasures picked up during recent travels. Whether it is a jar of seaweed salt brought back from Ireland, authentic tahini sourced from a bustling Middle Eastern market in London, or rich balsamic ketchup from Modena, she loves receiving unique, delicious ingredients that she might never have discovered on her own.
How Do You Open Up Conversation?
Breaking the ice at a dinner party can sometimes feel daunting, but both hosts have developed natural ways of bringing their guests together. Beall typically offers a quick, seated toast that formally welcomes everyone to the table. While she is never afraid to introduce a fun group question if the dynamic calls for it, she notes that by the time everyone has actually taken their seats, the room is usually already buzzing with conversation.
Baylin takes a more relaxed approach, preferring to let the dialogue flow organically while staying genuinely curious about her guests. More often than not, she finds that the conversation naturally gravitates toward the universal topics of great food and shared musical tastes.
Family Style or Pre-Plated?
When the question of service style arose, both hosts answered with absolute unanimity. Both Mary Celeste Beall and Jessie Baylin agreed that family-style service is the definitive choice, answering with a resounding confirmation that it is the only way to go for a truly connected dining experience.
How Do You Balance Hosting and Mingling?
Balancing the demands of playing host while remaining present for your own party requires careful preparation. Beall relies heavily on pre-planning and loves involving her friends in the final moments of setup. She might casually ask a guest to help pour water at the table or light the remaining candle tapers while she adds the final touches in the kitchen. She reiterates that while her tablescapes may look polished and elegant, she intentionally keeps the rest of the environment relaxed so the night can unfold naturally.
Baylin focuses on finishing as much of the preparation as possible earlier in the day to ensure she can actually enjoy the evening when guests arrive. If she is handling the cooking duties, she makes a point to clean as she goes, which makes the end of the night feel significantly less daunting. She also relies on having a close friend or two at the table who is never afraid to roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand.
What Are You Drinking?
Beverages play a major role in setting the tone for the evening’s festivities. Beall is a staunch advocate for Champagne, describing it as inherently celebratory, fun, and remarkably versatile. She notes that it pairs exceptionally well with a generous bowl of caviar served alongside crème fraîche and potato chips, which remains one of her ultimate entertaining go-tos.
Baylin prefers to have batch cocktails ready to pour the moment people walk through the door. She typically keeps a batch or two of vodka or gin martinis resting in the freezer, alongside large ice cubes prepped and waiting for classic Negronis, ensuring she can get a well-crafted drink into a guest’s hand with maximum efficiency.
What’s Going on at Your Ideal After-Party?
The transition from dinner to the late-night hours is where some of the most memorable moments happen. For Beall, the evening often winds down with a trip back down to the estate’s wine cellar in search of more red wine or a specialized dessert wine. She is a dedicated fan of traditional digestifs like Chartreuse and port, and some of her absolute favorite party moments occur when guests linger around the table, passing around her grandmother’s silver bowl filled with almond dragées while continuing deep conversations with people they may have only just met that evening.
Baylin envisions an ideal after-party centered around lounging outdoors by the pool on a warm night, with her feet either dipped in the water or stretched out comfortably on the loungers while looking up at the open sky and listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon played from start to finish.
Dishes That Night or Save the Mess Until the Morning?
The eternal debate of post-party cleanup brings out stark differences in the two hosts’ habits. Beall prefers to have the dinner plates cleared and at least given a quick rinse before bed, but she deliberately leaves the table itself exactly as it was, wine glasses and all. She finds a certain charm in walking into the dining room the next morning to catch a nostalgic glimpse of the night before, complete with the lingering drips of melted candle tapers, carelessly strewn napkins, and empty wine glasses hinting at the laughter that filled the room hours earlier.
Baylin, however, firmly belongs to the opposing camp and could never bring herself to leave a messy kitchen overnight. Even if she attempts to ignore the task, she admits she would likely just get back out of bed to finish the job. For her, walking into a spotless, fully reset kitchen the morning after a night of heavy entertaining remains one of life’s greatest and most satisfying simple pleasures.
