Champagne

Drinks are the first thing in order on such an extravagant night—and the Oscars were made for bubbly! Try Pear Champagne and Raspberry Champagne Cocktail.

Or, be a bartender and mix other alcoholic drinks!

Champagne Cup (Moss); Parisian Dots champagne flute (Marc Blackwell); Nason & Moretti Dogale flute (Michael C. Fina).
Delivery food

Lacquered red square tray and plate (Takashimaya); Hermès Balcon du Guadalquivir redand- white bread-and-butter plate, Jean-Louis Coquet Hemisphere matte-gold sugar bowl, and Salviati Abaco vases (all Michael C. Fina).

Asian cuisine, which comes together quicker than you can say moo goo gai pan, is easy to get picture perfect on Oscar night.
  • Re-dish everything. Dump the disposable containers and pull out pretty serving bowls and platters. Foods that come with sauces, like satay and dumplings, beg for little serving vessels picked up for a song at Asian supermarkets.
  • Go hot and cold. To cut down on at-home prep time, split ordering among hot and cold dishes. Vietnamese salads featuring green papaya or squid can go directly to the plate, leaving you free to focus on reheating.
  • Garnish with color. Maybe the pad thai smells great but looks gloppy, or the chicken curry is monochromatic. Slivered cucumbers or carrots add color and crunch, whether topping off the takeout or served alongside.

Lacquered red square tray and plate (Takashimaya); Hermès Balcon du Guadalquivir redand- white bread-and-butter plate, Jean-Louis Coquet Hemisphere matte-gold sugar bowl, and Salviati Abaco vases (all Michael C. Fina).
Asian food

Chinese chicken salad in lettuce cups, beef satay with peanut sauce and panfried dumplings are great finger foods. For a lighter dumpling, try Steamed Pacific Rim Dumplings with Minced Chicken.

Gilded Band salad plate (Calvin Klein); Mud Australia porcelain salt dish (ABC Carpet & Home).
Roasted potatoes with caviar

Topped with caviar, tiny potatoes grab the spotlight. Pre-assemble the caviar, crème fraïche and roasted potatoes. Or if money's no object, let guests scoop up their own black pearls.

Saint-Louis crystal Apollo Gold caviar server (Michael C. Fina); optical-glass caviar server (Dean & Deluca); resin and shell caviar spoons, Deborah Ehrlich stemless flutes, and gold-leafed tray (all Takashimaya).
Potato chips and pizza

A simple potato chip dressed in ruby red tuna tartare is the perfect accompaniment to pizzas topped with smoked salmon and dill, or goat cheese and mushrooms.

Coquet Hemisphere matte-gold salad/dessert plate (Michael C. Fina). Pizza wheel (Dean & Deluca); Mud Australia porcelain tray (ABC Carpet & Home).
Chocolate Cake

Like a Disney song or a biopic's leading man, a rich chocolate cake always takes home the statue. 

Coquet ringed saucers (Lalique); Philippe Deshoulieres gold bread-and-butter plate, Christofle Albi silver-plated cake server (both Michael C. Fina).
From the Spring 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine