Philadelphia - June 24, 2009

Hey, Jimmy

Jimmy Contreras's Tips for Summer Entertaining

For social butterfly Jimmy Contreras, every day is a celebration. So we caught up with him in his Passyunk Avenue cocoon, JimmyStyle, to get his take on throwing the perfect summer soiree.

What’s a fun party game?
Uno is a good one; it goes well with cocktails. You want to keep it simple because you still want the conversation to flow.

What about guests who’ve had too much to drink?
If someone’s overserved, I let that person stay over! You just want to make sure you have a great brunch the next day with lots of Bloody Marys, sausage, and bacon. Bacon makes everything better.

What’s the golden rule of party throwing?
Create a good ambiance with candles and fresh flowers. Peonies are my favorite. Desserts are also good to have.

Yum. What’s for dessert?
Homemade ice cream sandwiches. I make sugar or chocolate chip cookies, then run down to Capogiro for gelato. Everyone gets a sandwich wrapped in wax paper before he or she leaves.

What are we drinking?
I always serve the Sassy J. It was created by a friend and me at the Italian Market Festival three years ago. It’s limeade with any kind of vodka, garnished with fresh fruit. It’s so refreshing.

How do you handle invites?
I love to send out cards I make myself. Other times, I just call people the night before and surprise them.

What about guests who come early and stay late?
I put them to work prepping for the party or putting final touches on the meal. Or I have them lend a hand with the cleanup afterward. The drinking continues, of course.

And so does the party.