When Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste host a dinner party, guests are more than spectators—they become active participants in the evening’s design. Their approach to entertaining emphasizes presence, conversation, and shared experiences, with their new Anthropologie collection reflecting the fusion of Jaouad’s Tunisian heritage and Batiste’s musical roots. The 46-piece line includes items designed to spark interaction, from cocktail tools to furniture, each rooted in the couple’s philosophy of hospitality as collaboration.
Inviting Participation Through Design
The couple’s hosting style centers on engaging guests from the moment they arrive. Jaouad emphasizes that nonalcoholic drinks should be as thoughtfully crafted as cocktails, offering a rotating citrusy mocktail infused with orange blossom water, fresh lemon, and garden herbs. “I feel strongly that a nonalcoholic drink should be every bit as beautiful and considered as a cocktail,” she states. To break the ice, they use a custom conversation card set distributed by Anthropologie, prompting guests to share skills or quirks never mentioned in professional settings, such as winning a pie-eating contest or being an amateur therapist.
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Batiste treats music as an interactive element, advising hosts to “consider the music another guest at the party.” He stresses that playlists should create pleasant surprises and inspire dialogue, adapting to the room’s energy as the evening unfolds. The couple’s dining room features linen napkins and slightly rumpled tablecloths, prioritizing warmth over formality. “There’s something wonderfully inviting about a table that doesn’t look too precious to eat at,” Jaouad explains.
Cultural Fusion in Every Detail
The Anthropologie collection showcases Jaouad’s Tunisian background and Batiste’s New Orleans upbringing. Their signature Mixed Coupe Glasses Set includes four pieces for serving their favorite Tunisian-inspired cocktail, a citrusy blend with orange blossom water, fresh lemon, and rosemary or mint snipped from their garden. For non-drinkers, Batiste offers equally festive alternatives. Their go-to family meal combines chicken tagine with preserved lemons, green olives, and jeweled rice studded with pistachios, herbs, and dried fruit—a nod to Jaouad’s Tunisian roots and Batiste’s Louisiana culinary traditions.
Dessert often features a lemon olive oil cake, while morning guests are served Tunisian-style fresh mint tea with toasted pine nuts, poured ceremonially into small glasses. The collection also includes a Stoneware Teapot and Wooden Tray, both designed to accommodate their love of communal dining and storytelling.
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Creating Rituals of Connection
Jaouad’s favorite item in the collection is a hand-painted wooden platter, which she describes as “I also think of it as a little painting you can serve dinner on.” She collects antique serving pieces from around the world, viewing them as vessels for shared meals and conversations. The couple’s “best-kept entertaining secret,” she reveals, is assigning guests small tasks, tearing herbs, lighting candles, or selecting records, to make something together. “Nothing too onerous, obviously, but I find people relax almost immediately when they’re invited to participate,” she says.
As the evening progresses, the dining table transforms into a living room. Once plates are cleared, the pair brings out tea and sweets, often accompanied by another bottle of wine. If the night is going well, Batiste retreats to the piano, igniting spontaneous dancing. Their Crosley Voyager Record Player and curated playlists, James Brown, Random Access Memories by Daft Punk, The Jackson 5 Greatest Hits, ABBA “Dancing Queen”, serve as both soundtrack and source of late-night joy.
