"Ophelia" > wrote :
>
> If I have a lot of people at table, I serve similar items along the table.
> ie roast potatoes in dish big enough for 4 people ... along the table.
> Having said that, I rarely have big dinners any more, so family style is
> just fine
>

Yep, that's the issue. We haven't put the leaf in our dining table for five
years or so, meaning that we've had maybe six adults, then four children at
the kitchen table. It's easy enough to serve the children from the kitchen
and put the serving dishes on the dining table with six people. When we had
larger parties of extended family and friends early on we used the sideboard
and the kitchen counters, with ten at the table and everyone else fending
for themselves in the living room, family room, etc. Buffet style. At large
gatherings that are privately supplied, I cannot imagine everything being
hot that is supposed to be hot at the same time. Hell, caterers rarely
achieve that in private homes.