People have partied since the beginning of time. Homo sapiens and Neanderthals loved to get down, and we’ve got the sexy cave paintings to prove it. The Mesopotamians weren’t ones to turn down a party, either. As the world’s first recorded civilization, they invented the New Year’s soiree, and called it Akitu. Next up, starting around 2040 BCE, the Egyptians threw an annual Festival of Drunkenness called Tekh. They’re still talking about the debauchery of those nights. The ancient Greeks and Etruscans had symposia, and the ancient Romans never met a bacchanalia they didn’t like. Today, we have sobremesas, powwows, luaus, boodles, crawfish boils and clam bakes. Indeed, from the saloons of the Wild West to the salons of Paris, people will always find a reason to get together. It’s in our nature. 

Gertrude Stein hosted the most famous Parisian salon in her home at 27 Rue de Fleurus. It was one hundred years ago. The world was fresh out of WWI and still recovering from the Spanish Flu pandemic. Life was grim, the population - shell-shocked. For political and economic reasons, artists and writers of all sorts flocked to Paris to do their work. With her partner, Alice B. Toklas, Stein created a respite for these disillusioned souls. They dined, partied, and debated their fiercest passions, coming together in a cymbal-crash of good times and creative ideas. She deemed these revelers the Lost Generation. 

Today, many of us are feeling let down, burnt out, and isolated. This isn’t something we can combat alone. By open-heartedly coming together despite it all, we create space to be our messy selves, and rebel against the social constructs that put us here. That’s what Ruined Table is all about. Yes, it’s the messy scene at the end of a dinner party, but it’s also a symbol of living in the present, having fun, and finding beauty in the gray zones, because we are the new Lost Generation, and this is how we get found - by coming together, locking eyes over the remains of a delicious meal, and proclaiming, “We are here in this life together, so let’s keep living it.” 

A dinner party doesn’t have to be a fancy or stressful affair. Nor do you need a reason to have one. All you need is yourself, a few friends, and a willingness to cut loose. So go ahead, pop open another bottle of the good stuff and pass the garlic bread, because shit is about to get interesting. Sign up here to join the party.

Ruined Table was created by Courtney McBroom.  She is a Party Person, chef, culinary producer, and the author of Party People, Idiot Sandwich, Divine Your Dinner, All About Cake, Momofuku Milk Bar, and Milk Bar Life. She was the head food consultant for Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV+. She has been a guest on shows such as Chef’s Table, Mind of a Chef, Vice Munchies, and Bong Appétit, and her writing and recipes have been featured in Food & Wine, Vice, GQ, InStyle, Thrillist, Stylist, and Lucky Peach.

Her goal is to inspire you to create your own ruined tables, at home or in a place that feels like home. She also really loves hot dogs.

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