Aperitivo Hour: A Paella Party with Alice Russotti

Reported by Vogue.

Summer entertaining has a reputation problem. Somewhere between the pressure of a curated tablescape and the anxiety of the perfect menu, hosting stopped feeling like a joy and started feeling like a performance. Alice Russotti, founder and creative director of Brooklyn-based decor brand Porta, has a different read on it entirely — and her annual backyard paella party in Boerum Hill is proof of concept.

According to Vogue, Russotti hosted an intimate June gathering under string lights with paella from Arroces Street Paella as the centerpiece — two varieties, one seafood with prawns and octopus, one vegan with a miso base — so she could actually be at her own party instead of running it. Basque burnt cheesecakes from Little Grace Bakery in Chelsea rounded out the Spanish-themed spread. Drinks were pre-batched Agua de Valencias, switchable between Quattro Gatti Gin or Holiday Vodka, with clear or smoky green glassware so the ceramics and food could do the talking. "The best hosting is almost invisible," she says. "The work happens beforehand so that once everyone is there, including me, the gathering can unfold naturally."

The Details That Actually Matter

Her table starts with a tablecloth — specifically Porta's own Riga style — then layers in color, heirloom tomatoes spilling from wicker baskets, lemons piled in ceramic bowls, Akila candleholders, August wood serving bowls filled with dried orange slices for cocktail garnish. The through-line is produce as decor, ingredients as atmosphere. For dressing herself, she favors something with a little shimmer that won't crease mid-party: a sequin tunic and wide-leg pant from Chan Luu, flat Le Monde Béryl shoes or Sabah's Babette flat for navigating a pebbled garden, and jewelry including pieces by her mother under the label Talking Jewellery, a Ulla Johnson chain necklace, and Completedworks for character. The bathroom, she insists, is also part of the party — vintage French tea towels, a candle, Santa Maria Novella soap, flattering light. "These things make guests feel looked after."

Her rules are few but firm: no phones at the table, ever. A live guitarrista added more atmosphere than any curated Spotify playlist could. And on the guest list, her favorite move is mixing old friends with new ones and watching something unexpected click. The stress-reduction strategy is almost aggressively unsexy: plan ahead, set the table early, leave yourself enough time to have a drink before anyone arrives. "Nobody enjoys a party more because the napkins were folded perfectly."

The best summer hosting isn't about executing flawlessly — it's about engineering the conditions where no one wants to leave.

Read the original at Vogue.