Rustic Tablescape Style with The FourCoursemen

As I was flipping through the Novemeber issue of Food & Wine magazine several weeks back, I was immediately inspired by the feature on The FourCoursemen, an underground supper club in Athens, Georgia. Long story short, a couple of talented guys who love to cook started getting together to test their culinary prowess. One thing led to another and now they, along with other food and wine aficionados, regularly gather together other foodies to cook up experimental menus of fresh, rustic and sometimes off the wall ingredients. For a more in-depth look into the magic that is The FourCoursemen and a few of their recipes, be sure to check out all the details on Food & Wine’s website.

One of the things I loved most about this feature was the easy and simple styling. A table runner made from a long strip of kraft paper, hand painted with an abstract pattern with india ink by Susan Hable of Hable Construction, friend of the gents behind The FourCoursemen.  Simple white dinnerware, colorful food, clusters of gourds and chinaberry branches down the middle of the long farmhouse-style table. Perfect casual touches that allow the food to shine, the atmosphere of camaraderie to take center stage and avoid ever feeling stuffy or pretentious.

How wonderful would it be to get an invitation to a gathering this warm and friendly? To me this is the perfect look and feel for a truly special Thanksgiving dinner so if you’re still considering how to pull everything together tomorrow if you’re hosting dinner, remember to keep it simple with a few sweet touches and let the food do the talking.

{Photos from Food & Wine.}