Bon Appetit - October 2017

112  OCTOBER 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX LAU

PROP STYLING BY REBECCA BARTOSHESKY. ILLUSTRATION BY JOE WILSON.

down the political discussion road.” Second: Respect

the communal food. “I’m on board with the Seinfeld

no-double-dipping rule,” he says. “Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld

really knew what they were talking about.” Most important, at the

end of the night, roll up your sleeves and grab a sponge. “I’m one

of the great dishwashers,” Slater admits. “I’ll hand-wash, I’ll load,

I’ll make sure no food is stuck on—prerinse is key.” That level of

usefulness should keep his social calendar full: “I just got myself

invited to every party.” DAVID WALTERS

Christian Slater

How do you navigate

a dinner party?

THE LAST BITE

Once you

pop...

THE VITALS

Hometown

New York City

Where he’s

a regular

Cafe Luxembourg

Go-to order

Ricotta pancakes

TV dinner-party

faux pas

Excessive caviar

consumption

on Curb Your

Enthusiasm

Top real-life

party snack

Quesadillas

Just don’t

let him

get dishpan

hands.

You don’t survive nearly four decades
in a schmoozy industry town like Hollywood
without learning the intricacies of a dinner party,
so Christian Slater has a handy tip or three for how to be the most
gracious guest at any get-together. First, it’s okay to keep the small
talk small. “Maybe it’s just me, but I like to start by showing photos
of my kids and dogs,” says the Golden Globe –winning star of the
USA Network drama series Mr. Robot, back for a third season this
month. “It puts people at ease, which is wise. You don’t want to go