A Simple Change in Status

This is the experts’ injunction on entertaining in ‘97: simple and elegant. They swear by this. They repeat the words “simple and elegant�--mantra-like--until it begins to sound like the name of a British comedy duo.

“The status symbols of the ‘80s have fallen by the wayside,� says party designer Colin Cowie. “We don’t need to impress. We need to have fun.�

Banish memories of extravagance. Be warm and sincere. And don’t leave the house. Entertaining gurus want you at home serving classic, traditional food in a non-ostentatious way. Think of Martha Stewart having Mahatma Gandhi over for a bite to eat.

What to serve? When the guests arrive, whatever you do, don’t offer white wine and sparkling water. This is boring. Or as the experts say “Boring! Boring! Boring!� Avoid this sin by serving retro-cocktails--Manhattans, gimlets, martinis, the whole high-octane list that brought your grandparents to the brink of alcoholism. In addition, drinks must be served in traditional glasses and they should look colorful and fresh and fun, or you will be boring.

The good news is that in 1997 you can have meat for the main course. Carnivores are in. Merrill Shindler, KMPC radio’s restaurant critic, says this year’s exotic meat could go beyond ostrich to emu, which has an even lower fat content.

He also thinks this might be the moment Korean food becomes The Next Big Thing. He points to the upscale Arirang restaurant in Pasadena’s Old Town as an omen.

What to put on the CD player for your guests? The line, “Disco isn’t dead, it just wasn’t buried deep enough,� was true in ’96. Many a wedding guest heard more Donna Summer and Village People than was healthy. This year, look for Madonna and Prince to be the new nostalgia.

Susan de Bois, of De Bois Productions, says clients are asking more for blues bands. “But happy blues,� she says. “Not slit-your-wrist blues.� Robert Johnson need not apply.

After cocktails, it will be OK to serve wine with dinner. Steve Wallace of Wally’s Liquor says the price of French and California wines is escalating so fast that we’ll be seeing more vintages from Australia, Hungry, Argentina, Chile and even exotic Oregon.

The table decor? Florist Walter Hubert, of Pasadena’s Silver Birches, predicts a trend toward using local materials, like chaparral.

So the bomb is to dump the glittery dress, make a centerpiece out of some stuff you pick on a hillside, stock up on Hungarian chablis, serve the rack of lamb and have soy-based emu substitutes ready for the vegetarians.