Table Mates: Sophie Lou Jacobsen and Megumi Shauna Arai Want You to “Arrive Late, Stay Late”
Where the fare is all fresh produce, and the etiquette is “arrive late, stay late”
By Kate McGregor
Photography by Jennifer Steele
Hosting a dinner party is infinitely more enjoyable with a partner in crime to help curate the playlist and the guest list, keep the conversation and the drinks flowing, and take a load off the planning. Who better than a dear friend to serve as your cohost and cleanup accomplice as the night winds down? That’s the spirit behind Table Mates, where we’ve invited a stellar group of creatives to plan and execute their dream soirées…and let us in on how they do it!
Artists Sophie Lou Jacobsen and Megumi Shauna Arai are no strangers to culinary collaboration. Their standing Saturday date at the Union Square Greenmarket lends itself to fresh experimentation. “We walk around with our coffee and download about our past week while buying what looks especially scrumptious to plan meals for the following week, including dinner parties,” says Arai. Letting Jacobsen lead the tableware selection is a no-brainer, as is Arai’s menu inspiration, culled directly from what’s in season at the time, no matter if it’s roasted rhubarb or caramelized pears. Like with any true friendship, there’s an air of familiarity and a certain level of chaos to coordinating these get-togethers, with guests expected to arrive fashionably late—giving Jacobsen some wiggle room for styling the tablescape on time.
On a crisp weekend in late March, Jacobsen and Arai let us peek into their weekly farm-to-table ritual—this time, with plenty of cabbageware and close friends. Read on to discover their hosting rituals and shop their eclectic table. Remember, the night doesn’t end until the dishwasher dings.
What’s on the menu?
Megumi Shauna Arai: We’ve been making both sweet and savory tarts together for years. We call it “Tart Club.” But when I think of Soph, I think of radishes with butter, so that has to be a starter. We both love seafood and have an ongoing debate on what makes the best cacio e pepe.
Sophie Lou Jacobsen: Our ideal dinner would be on a Saturday night, post Union Square farmers market shopping. The menu would invariably include:
To start: cheese and crackers, potato chips, radish with butter and salt
Main: Either fresh fish and vegetables from the market, or a pasta (likely cacio e pepe) Big salad
Dessert: Some kind of tart! Apple, pear, peach, fig…. Whatever is good and in season. With a side of ice cream or chocolate mousse (homemade by Megumi!)
What’s your biggest hosting pet peeve?
SLJ: People who arrive right on time.
MSA: [laughs] Word, I second this.
Ideal hostess gift?
SLJ: A bottle, a loaf of bread, cheese, or something lovely for the kitchen post-party, like good olive oil.
MSA: A big smile and helping hands for cleanup.
What’s the most important element of a dinner table?
SLJ: The people! The perfect mix of guests would be a group where not everyone knows each other, but everyone knows at least one other person. Friends of friends will almost inevitably get along, new faces lead to new conversations, and old friends lead to a lot of laughter.
MSA: Yes, the people! We could be eating Top Ramen, and it would be wonderful as long as everyone is curious and interested in one another, generous in their presence, and happy to gather.
What’s your seating strategy?
SLJ: If it is a smallish, intimate group, people will naturally sit where they feel most comfortable, and that makes the best arrangement.
MSA: Soph can attest that I have a knack for making things hilariously awkward, but just in the short-term, for ideally a long-term gain. I’d say at the beginning of dinner, “If everyone doesn’t talk to one person they don’t know, I’ll get mad. Now go!”
What’s on the playlist?
SLJ: Andrew Cyrille, Frank Lowe Quintet, Pharoah Sanders, Milford Graves, Don Cherry, Fred Anderson, and Hamid Drake
Family style or pre-plated?
MSA: Family!
How do you balance mingling with hosting responsibilities?
SLJ: Prepare as much as possible in advance so that you don’t have to be tied to the kitchen.
MSA: Run back and forth constantly! I’m always moving.
Is there a signature cocktail?
SLJ: Mini martinis to start, followed by wine brought by guests.
MSA: Sparkling water for days.
What’s going on at your ideal after-party? Is there one?
SLJ: Cigarettes in the living room, with a digestif and music.
MSA: Dancing!
Dishes that night, or save the mess until the morning?
SLJ: Dishes that night, always.
MSA: If we have to, fine, that night, but ideally, a late-night group hanging after the after-party, keeping the dishwasher company.
