Tchin tchin

I went to a fabulous dinner party thrown by a friend on Saturday night. The food was completely amazing (all FIVE courses of it), and the conversation was stimulating. It was a lively mix of opera folks and civilians, all of us naturally chatty.

Here was my favorite part of the night. At every dinner party he hosts, my friend pours champagne before dessert, and everyone is required to give a toast. It sounds slightly terrifying, I know, but I loved it. First of all, right before dessert is late enough in the evening that everyone has gotten to know each other (and had a fair amount of wine). Plus, there's something special about going around the table and letting each person have a moment to speak. I'll remember the toasts we made that night for a long time. Also the chocolate cake with salted caramel filling.

I'm thinking about adopting a tradition for our dinner parties. What should it be? Usually I just hope the food will turn out okay. Do you do anything special at dinner parties to commemorate the evening?