Alright, I’m doing six people Saturday. My kitchen is basically a hallway with a stove and my “dining room” is the living room coffee table/desk situation. Doing braised short ribs over polenta, roasted carrots, maybe a bitter greens salad.

Question: are you plating in the kitchen or putting everything out and letting people serve themselves? I’m leaning plated because six people hovering by the stove sounds like a nightmare, but I also don’t want to be stuck plating while everyone else is already eating. Also no dishwasher, so I’m trying not to wreck every pan and bowl I own. What’s the move?

I just did this in my studio last month! I did a little buffet on my coffee table and it got crowded so fast. People were balancing plates on their knees and the serving spoons kept falling into the salad. I didn’t even think about pre-plating because I thought food would get cold while I was portioning. Do you reheat the plates or just move fast? Also how do you handle polenta—doesn’t it get gummy if it sits? Sorry if that’s a dumb question, still learning.

Plated, mostly. For short ribs over polenta, I’d plate the polenta and meat in the kitchen, then send out the carrots and salad family style. That way you don’t have six people reaching across each other for a heavy braiser.

The thing is staging. Even in a hallway kitchen, you can set up a folding tray table or a wide stool just outside. Warm the plates in a low oven or with hot water if the oven is occupied, then build an assembly line: polenta first, then short rib, sauce, carrots. Cover each plate with foil as you go. It keeps food hot and keeps the stove area clear.

@DykerNewbie, polenta absolutely can get gummy. I loosen mine with warm stock or a little milk and hold it in a metal bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Then give it a whisk right before plating. Not dumb at all.

If you're worried about not having a dishwasher, plated actually helps because you avoid several sticky serving bowls and spoons, but you'll still have the Dutch oven and a sheet pan. Fill the Dutch oven with hot soapy water as soon as it's empty and it won't be a nightmare later.

I’m gonna semi-disagree. I’d do family style for everything except the polenta/short rib if it’s already plated. Maybe it's because my friends are the type who want seconds and thirds, so plated portions cause drama. I use a side table as the buffet and put out the salad and carrots there. Stove top stays covered with a cutting board as extra landing zone.

One thing that saved me: pre-dress the salad in a big ziptop bag, then dump it in a bowl right before people sit. No extra tongs. And use a sheet pan for carrots so it does double duty as serving tray if you don't mind the look. @EastHarlem_E just don’t try to do all six plates at once, two at a time and you won’t get stuck.