Why Did You Eat That: Meet the Parents

During the holiday season, there is a lot of meet and greet with family members. For some this may be the first meeting. For others it is round two, three, or four with the in laws. In either case, it can be quite overwhelming.

Last week, my fiance met my mother for the first time. While the pressure wasn’t really on me, I did want to have an enjoyable experience. For a night out on the town, I chose to take my mom and fiance to Morandi. It’s a great place for your parents to get the “New York experience” without overwhelming them with bottle popping and rail thin model types. Not to mention, the food is pretty delicious.

The staff is very knowledgable about wine and helped us choose a bottle everyone would enjoy. We ordered the olive ascalone (fried green olives stuffed with sausage) and the carciofi alla giude (fried artichokes with lemon). My fiance ordered the guinea hen, I had the gnocchi special, and my mom noshed on pappardelle integrali con pancetta (whole wheat pasta with pancetta, broccoli rabe, and radicchi). Everything was delightful and we were happily stuffed. Seeing as everyone was getting along swimmingly and my mom was a few glasses of wine in, we headed over to Soho House to really get the party started.

So what should a young lady wear when going to meet her future in laws? There is no need for a turtleneck and pearls. No one believes you are that innocent, but covering up a bit and coming across more wholesome than your normal Saturday night tube top won’t hurt. Try a warm and cozy sweater and patterned pants. Looking pulled together and sophisticated will put your future mother in law at ease. No one will ever be good enough for her baby boy, but at least you’ll come close.