How Olivia Muniak Makes Memorable Fall Gatherings Look Easy

Rip & Tan: Food-related or otherwise, what are some things you’re most looking forward to this season?

Olivia Muniak: I always love the turn of seasons. As a chef, I really lean into the seasonality of cooking from the produce I buy to the way that I cook. That means I’ll phase things out and then when fall rolls back around I’m craving those dishes again.

This fall, I am also settling into a new home that I purchased this summer and planning all the renovations and design with a friend and interior designer, Regina at Studio Montemayor. While it’s not ideal to lose my kitchen and dining spaces for this holiday season, I’m ecstatic about designing a custom kitchen and the rest of the house. 

Rip & Tan: With fall holidays on their way, how would you describe your approach to entertaining this year?

Olivia Muniak: I use the phrase “lazy-fancy” when it comes to entertaining at home. A lazy-fancy dinner (or aperitivo) party is a balanced recipe of food and drink, decor and atmosphere that comes together to create a relaxed, elegant, and fun dining experience. It’s striking the balance of high-low by taking a casual meal and infusing it with more “fancy” elements. However, it’s not about being too precious with the experience—you don’t need crystal champagne flutes or trending decor color palettes. This high-low approach always gives guests a good warm feeling, and there’s lots of room to have fun! 

Rip & Tan: Are there any particular fall ingredients you’re most excited to start using again?

Olivia Muniak: Chicories are my absolute favorite, this family of vegetables all have a bitter note to them so when using them you need to balance out the bitterness with ingredients that are either creamy, nutty or sweet (or all). Vegetables in the Chicories family are varieties of radicchio, endive, frisse. I like swapping chicories in with classic dishes like a Caesar Salad but use endive spears instead, or adding ribbons of radicchio to a creamy tagliatelle pasta.

Rip & Tan: In this season specifically, what are a few simple ways we can elevate our everyday meals? 

Olivia Muniak: It should come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of table settings and I think this is the easiest way to make simple meals feel special (even if you order take-out). There are a few design tricks to elevate your table without it feeling cliche—skip past spooky and “PSL” (pumpkin spice latte) decor and go straight for moody.

Style tables with sparse branches, deep-hued monocolor floral or foliage arrangements. Swap in luxe textures like velvet or weighty woven linens in richer colors. Play with flatware finishes like a matte black or brass with patina, and as we get closer to the holidays, I like to style with classic or vintage silver. 

Rip & Tan: Speaking of—tell us more about these delicious fall dishes you’ve prepared.

Olivia Muniak: I turn to this menu year after year for so many reasons, but mostly because it’s epicurean and elegant for an intimate dinner party yet easy enough as a week-night meal with the bonus of leftovers. The kale salad is loaded with crunchy fennel, brine-y Castelvetrano olives, sweet golden raisins, toasted pine nuts and either shaved red onion or crispy shallots (and I use the shallot oil to make the dressing). The classic Bolognese recipe gets a twist with ground lamb, nutmeg and cumin, fresh mint “chiffonade” and dollops of Goat Cheese. The Apple Tart, while it looks like it’s from a bakery because of its “rose” pattern, is very easy to make and melts in your mouth! 

Rip & Tan: Any last hosting tips or tricks you’d like to leave us with? 

Olivia Muniak: Aside from working with the best seasonal ingredients the farmers market offers, I also look at simple ways to enhance the season at home (and on the bar cart). For example, I might take a traditional cocktail and give it some richer “fall” flavors like my Black Manhattan or a Spiced Pear Margarita.

In terms of decor, I love taking cues from seasonal colors and textures. I’ll usually reach for a more fall-colored hue or tuck a dried leaf or branch into each guest’s table setting. Finally, it’s thinking about the people you’re hosting and what they need to feel comfortable. 

Rip & Tan: We’re dying to know more about your newly launched tableware collection. What was the inspiration?  

Olivia Muniak: When I embarked on this journey I thought about the alchemy of a great night in. In my years of designing events, cooking for friends and Supper Club, it was the blend of food, friends and atmosphere that made me want to stay at the table for hours long after the meal was done. I was already sharing my recipes and entertaining tips, this collection was a natural next step for me. Creating the atmosphere for Supper Club first with food, then the table decor, accessories, lighting and music.

When I thought about quality dinnerware it is too precious, fragile, handpainted, or has a bold hue that can be striking but not versatile. Equally, a classic dinner set can sometimes feel homogenous and lacking beauty. The pieces in this collection are designed to strike the balance between ornate and modern. Inspired by subtle details of European architecture, or the white-washed walls of the Italian Mediterranean, each piece in the set is crafted in a warm white ceramic with a soft scalloped edge. The entire collection is handmade in Los Angeles. The collection is timeless, making every meal feel special.