5 Simple Steps to Hosting a Bunco Party

Last week I hosted my very first "Bunco Night." For those of you who don't know, bunco is basically the woman's alternative to poker night- it's a fast paced dice game. (Actually, it's really just a thinly-veiled excuse to go out, hang out and chill out.) Right now it's a hot suburban trend, but it isn't something new. Bunco has been around for years and it's a great game that gets everyone involved- if your group actually plays, that is. 

I'd say my first time hosting bunco was a success. It didn't take much time to plan. Below, I've outlined my bunco party planning in 5 simple steps:

1. Invite your group- pick a date about a month in advance and get your email invites out. 
2. Plan your Menu- my group goes with a light dinner menu, others may only do apps. Up to you. 
3. Buy some alcohol- very important.
4. Have a clean house- cleaning woman made a special trip this week : )
5. Buy some more alcohol- can never have too much!

For food, I went with Capo in Floral Park (my go-to for catering and fab panini) and it was a hit. I served an assortment of bruschetta (my fave was the portobello mushroom with walnuts, goat cheese and arugula),  a variety of panini (yes, they're better than La Bottega), grilled asparagus and a green salad with pears and gorgonzola. Yum. My guests had seconds… and thirds… and some maybe even fourths but I'm not mentioning names… always a good sign! I kept it simple with dessert- fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and strawberries with cream.

Of course, the alcohol was flowing and that always helps at any party. I had plenty of red, white and white zin on hand and also served sangria for something different. I take the fifth on how many bottles were opened, but let's just say it was a fun night! 

This should be enough to motivate you to try your hand at bunco. If you don't have a group to join, start one! You only need four people to start (or any number divisible by four), although the traditional number is 12. In some groups… ahem… it doesn't even matter how many people you have because you may be having too much fun to actually play any bunco! Truth be told, I don't even own a bunco set ; )

Inside GC Disclaimer: This article is used for informational and entertainment purposes only. Inside GC provides this information to the public and does not condone drinking and driving or excessive alcohol consumption. You must be 21 to consume alcoholic beverages.