This is a great addition to your bookshelf if you like to entertain! This has helpful guides on how to prep your closet/pantry/bar, from what/how much silverware to get to how to set the table for different occasions (e.g. formal/semi-formal, casual, potluck/buffets). The charts on how much food/drinks/liquor/appetizers to ration/portion depending on how many guests are expected were especially helpful.

There are also lots of delicious recipes sectioned off into a few different chapters:
-Daytime Delights (e.g. for brunch/lunch/happy hours/stop-by's)
-All-Day Bashes (e.g. game day, fry day)
-Potlucks & Supper Clubs (e.g. BYO steak night, BYO burger night, taco night, pizza night)
-Formal Affairs & Slow Food Socials (e.g. staycations, paella night, hunting season)

I'm looking forward to trying out the tiramisu for our next potluck! :] (The beignets, berry clafloutis, + roasted apple/peanut streusel/chili crunch ice cream sundaes look amazing as well!)

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC!

Everything related to planning and gathering friends and family in one place! Recipes, expert tips based on experience, gorgeous pictures, and easy to follow directions and suggestions. Casual, fancy, brunch, lunch, dinner, and special occasions are all covered. I love the relaxed approach and the reminder to keep calm and enjoy yourself. Having southern roots myself, I appreciate the homage to traditional southern dishes, drinks, and desserts. There are plenty of international flavors to experiment with as well for those looking for more than southern fare. I feel the contributions are definitely that of a creative professional, but the inspiration and reminder to focus on the most important things made this a guide I would turn to for my own planning.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Kelsey Bernard Clark is giving away so many of her entertaining secrets in her gorgeous new book "Southern Get-Togethers". You'll learn how to build an entertaining pantry and bar, what dishes and serve-ware are essential and how to host the perfect get together. Especially helpful are her how much food and drink to have on hand at a party guides. The photos are stunning and the recipes sound so delicious. This book would make a beautiful gift!

Many thanks to Netgally and Chronicle Books for this ARC.

Beautiful book with gorgeous photos. I enjoyed looking at the photos of the table set ups, the amazing looking food and the decor. The recipes look very good. There are southern recipes and also some Mediterranean ones (which I wasn’t sure why). Everything looks great! The book is easy to read and to follow, well organized and clean. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

A BIG THANK YOU to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings by Kelsey Barnard Clark. This is a wealth of information and an indispensable resource for anyone looking to infuse their gatherings with Southern charm and hospitality.

As a Top Chef winner and hospitality-industry expert, Clark brings her lifetime of experience and expertise to the table, offering readers practical advice, expert tips, and over 100 recipes that are sure to impress any crowd. From casual cookouts to formal feasts, this book has everything you need to host unforgettable gatherings with ease and confidence.

With her infectious enthusiasm, Clark makes hosting feel like a breeze, providing invaluable insights and encouragement for both novice and experienced hosts alike. Whether you're planning a small get-together or a large-scale event, her wide-ranging and accessible recipes, paired with helpful tips on tablescaping, flower arranging, and menu planning, ensure that every aspect of your gathering is a resounding success.

With its stunning food and lifestyle photography and mouthwatering recipes, this is more than just a cookbook—it's a celebration of Southern hospitality and a testament to the joy of bringing people together over delicious food. Whether you're a seasoned entertainer or a first-time host, this book is sure to become your go-to guide for creating memorable and meaningful gatherings that will leave your guests wondering when they’ll be visiting again.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 10 September 2024
#SouthernGetTogethers #NetGalley

The ultimate party planning guide! All of the details are covered from setting a table to flowers to recipes for many types of gatherings including daytime, all-day, potlucks, formal. This is a hard copy worth owning. The photography is stunning. I do wish there was a photo for each recipe, but there is so much information packed in here, that would make for a very large book!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #ChronicleBooks for a free copy of #SouthernGetTogethers by Kelsey Barnard Clark. All opinions are my own.

The book is gorgeous! The recipes are approachable and don't require special-order ingredients for the most part. Some of the dinner party prep advice was a little out of touch, in my opinion -- I do not have an entire closet in my home to devote to dinner party supplies. That said, I can't wait to try out some of these menus with my friends!

Gorgeous photos, an approachable host, and a range of recipes from casual to formal make this a great read for anyone who wants to start or improve their hosting skills.

Simply stunning!

Thank you Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the lovely ARC!

Wow what a pretty book! I loved the tidbits and pictures of the decor and food. Seems like a lot of fun putting this together and I can’t wait to try out some of the recipes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of Southern Get-Togethers!!

The book is so beautiful and all the recipes look so divine. I can’t wait to host my next party! This is more than just a cookbook; a go to guide for hosting any get together.

The perfect gifting cook/lookbook as well!

This cookbook is phenomenal from start to finish. Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark won Top Chef and I have to say, I am a huge fan. Getting to try out her recipes was truly a delight and they were so delicious!
I got to read all her descriptions and recipes which were so well done. I got everything from appetizers to desserts! I tried the shrimp recipe which is out of my comfort zone and my whole family devoured it.
I was so impressed with the layout and quality of this cookbook!

Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings—Plus Entertaining Inspiration, Tips, and 100+ Recipes
Kelsey Barnard Clark
I remember my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents having family get-togethers several times of the year. There would be fried chicken, salads, pies, cakes, tea, lemonade, and homemade ice cream. The food was always delicious, but the company was even better. I still love to entertain but usually it is around the holidays. This book has intrigued me, and I just might have to have a summer or fall get-together for our neighbors…maybe both.
Author Kelsey Barnard Clark offers readers plenty of recipes and tips to produce a grand get-together. There are colored photos that tempt the readers. I can hardly wait to try several of the recipes and tips for my next get-tgether.

I was born in the south but left early. Somehow my southern heart has always remained. The food, entertaining, and gatherings are like no other there. This book was a fun, educational read. Definitely recommend this one. Great gift as well.
Thank you to Chronicle Books and Net Galley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Now I want to host a gathering with all of my friends! What a beautiful book full of delicious recipes and great tips! I loved how multiple recipes had several different variations of the same dish; ie the frittatas and pizzas. If you love hosting, cooking and gathering with friends this is a perfect addition to your home library! Heck, even if that isn't your thing, but you love new recipes and beautiful pictures, this book is for you!

I wish I'd been given this book at fifteen, the age the author catered a wedding event for the first time. Twenty years later, she's written a spectacular guide to hosting, with 100 recipes and hosting tips graced with a Southern touch. An author, a Top Chef winner, and a beloved TV personality, Kelsey Barnard Clark lays out the entire process so a hosting phobic dweeb like me can prepare, cook, and give a party like a pro. The color photos are gorgeous and I was immediately taken by recipes such as hot honey chicken, jambalaya, beignets, and bananas foster. Yum! Highly recommended for both new and seasoned party throwers.

I wanted to love this book and gravitated toward it because many in the South have a flair for spreads, tablescapes, and life around food and socializing but this book felt too sororityish. There were the spreads that were good but there were a lot of photos lacking poc with borrowing a lot of cultural dishes. This felt hmmm.

There are a lot of beautiful photos and the recipes sound delicious but it's not a book I would recommend per se because of the things the book lacked but it is gorgeous. Mostly because of what it's lacking. Where is the New Orleans? There is a bignet recipe but again it used some cultural recipes without going there. Mostly a bunch of preppy-looking people dressed like they were going to a yacht party..

My grandmother is from the south and her southern cooking is legendary. It wasn't served with sweaters tied around shoulders but it was a lot of farm cooking. Things raised on their farm, or fished and all homemade. Just absolutely scrumptious.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Southern Get-Togethers by Kelsey Barnard Clark. I think it will appeal to the privileged crowd.

This book makes hosting seem so effortless! I’m seriously inspired to throw a get together asap! I think the beginning section about essentials to have for hosting is especially useful. I can’t wait to try some of these recipes, tips, and tricks at my next gathering!

This is a rich people's Get-Together. Book. Most Alabamians don't have money for this. We have get-togethers, sure. But this book is not a cultural book reflecting the majority of people in the South.
Looking at the cookbook itself, I love all the pictures. They help me understand what the food, setting, and flowers should look like. The pages are gorgeously colored giving it the festive vibe the author is going for. The majority of the cooking has nothing to do with the South. When it does it's a new twist or fancy version of our classic meals or elements.
I would not recommend this to my friends nor to my review audience. This book isn't for us,

If a gardening book, cookbook, or home decor book has the word “Southern“ in the title, I’m inclined to buy it. There is something about Southern charm and hospitality that always makes for a satisfying read. Such is the case in Southern Get-Togethers, A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings by Kelsey Barnard Clark.

This book is divided into five sections: Getting Started, Daytime Delights, All-Day Bashes, Potlucks & Supper Clubs, and Formal Affairs & Slow Food Socials. The Getting Started section offers up a lot of helpful information on building your pantry, planning your menu , building your bar, setting up your flowers, and setting the table. Each of the remaining sections is divided into individual menus, with recipes carefully chosen to suit each. This makes party planning a breeze. The recipes run the gamut from super simple, to fairly complex, making this cookbook equally suitable to the novice cook as it is to the veteran.

The pictures are beautiful, and quite inviting. There are a lot of ideas for table settings, as well as instructions to make lovely floral centerpieces. The recipes themselves are written in a clear and concise fashion, and feature ingredients that you are likely to have on hand, or that are easily accessible.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to review this ARC.
I found some great ideas for entertaining as well as some delicious recipes The book is well put together. The photographs bring the recipes and ideas alive.