They say a li'l bit of what you like is good for the soul. Hence my love for girl dinner. And, while my late grandma would probs be turning in her grave knowing that I feast on tidbits (instead of 3+ hearty meals a day), variety is the spice of life.
If you're Dolly Parton'ing at your desk, the last thing you want to do is stand over your stovetop and wash dishes when you get home. So tiny dinners and petite platters are the plat du jour for me most days.
Also, I feel like going out for food is for the elite RN. So making the most of hosting indoors with pretty dinnerware sets and beautiful boards just makes sense. And with the tomato girl aesthetic being the nearest I'll get to Naples at the moment, I've become fluent in finding tasty tableware.
Whether it's zhuzhing up a storebought pizza with a drizzle of hot honey, reincarnating those reduced-price olives, or scraping a dip into a bougie bowl, I'm serving up the worst-kept secret on social.
Rather than get annoyed at my husband for getting home late — I don't wait on a text telling me he's going to be tardy. Instead, this is my opportunity to curate a personalized plate of pickles, prosciutto, popcorn, and potato chips. There are no "rules" to this eating regime. And that's the beauty of it.
Stylized snack plate? Oh honey, it's so much more.
9 aesthetically-pleasing girl dinner accessories
Price: $25.99
Make your air-fried recipes look super cute with these gingham food wrappers. I'd use these to pimp up my popcorn chicken, waffles, and sweet potato fries, personally. As for sandwiches? These sheets are the best thing since sliced bread for when you want to do girl dinner on the go.
Price: $27.07
Share the girl dinner love with your besties with this six-piece set. It's completely your choice whether you want to go the potluck route or spontaneously swing past the store to pick up a pack of ham, a box of breadsticks, and a block of cheese. Love the retro typewriter font!
Price: $37.99
I said there are no rules, but it'd be illegal in the girl dinner community to not include a pasta bowl in my picks. A lot of the TikToks I've seen (for research purposes, of course) include black "blates" or "plowls" which are super chic and make your food posts pop.
Price: $38
I'm a true believer that you can add frills to anything and it'll instantly have a feminine edge. This pretty li'l thing makes me want to donate all of my cookie-cutter cookware to a Goodwill store and start all over again. Also, is it me, or does this look like the Mattel logo? It's Barbie, b**ch!
Price: $38.39 for four
IDC if you're chowing solo, girl dinner can be a self-care event in itself. Rather than eating a boring TV dinner, indulge in a carefully put-together plate of cured meats, cheeses, and whatever is in the refrigerator. These napkins are bringing major Barbiecore vibes.
Price: $65 for two
A woman-owned brand in a girl dinner edit? Well duh. If there's anyone who knows how to dine in style, it's Shiza Shahid (owner of Our Place). Use the smaller platter for when you're eating alone, and the bigger one for when you're delivering a gourmet experience with your girlfriends. A greedy gal like me wants all five colors, but this deep blend duo delivers heaps of style if you can only afford one style.
Price: $74 for four
Sometimes my culinary skills border MasterChef contestant levels, and other times I wanna be a lazy girl who eats cereal for dinner. Life is all about balance, and so these bowls are going in the basket. I adore how easily the "Eat Me" option is giving that Alice in Wonderland aesthetic.
Price: $81
The French have created some of the best girl dinner foods. A side plate of saucisson, baguette, and brie is what my perfect plate would look like if I was going all Parisian. And this no-cook curation would look like something out of the Louvre on this pastel blue plate. I'm all for the red version, too, that says: "Her main passion in life is cheese." Despite the description, this isn't just a dish for desserts.
Toast is the foundation of girl dinners. Whether you fry up some eggs or go green with avocado, there are so many ways to enjoy this cheap but versatile staple. This kitsch piece of crockery is made from food-safe clay and glaze, and I think it's great!
Need some girl dinner inspo? Marissa Mullen aka @thatcheeseplate has put together a dreamy assortment.
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