Even if you don't immediately recognize the name Meredith Hayden, there's a good chance you're familiar with Wishbone Kitchen.
Back in 2022, Hayden went viral for posting "day in the life" videos on her TikTok account of that name, documenting her 17+ hour days working as a private chef in the Hamptons. Her videos, showcasing her mornings in the garden, grocery trips and the fresh, summer-ready meals she would make, started racking up millions of views — and gained her millions of followers.
This spring, she released her first cookbook, "The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook," which spent 12 weeks on the "New York Times" bestsellers list. And with her hosting savvy, mouthwatering recipes and Hamptons aesthetic, some people have even likened her to Gen Z's Ina Garten or Martha Stewart.
All that's to say, there's no question that she knows how to throw a good dinner party. And we got to experience it firsthand when we joined Hayden and Adobe for a rooftop dinner at Ci Siamo in New York City, celebrating their partnership, where she sat down with us to share some of her top hosting tips.
To start, she revealed to us the biggest mistake that hosts often make: Overcommitting. (If you're guilty of this, don't worry, Hayden tells us, "I do this myself.")
"The last time I hosted, it was a few weekends ago, I had added a few extra menu items because I was feeling inspired and excited. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that would be amazing if I could do that.' And then, remembering that I’m not three people, I am one person. I cannot churn out four appetizers that need to be prepared à la minute before serving."
That's why she recommends leaning into your strengths. "If your strength is salads or if your strength is a roasted chicken, then do that, but don’t lean into your weaknesses."
So if that means picking up some pre-made sides or even an entrée from the store, she’s all for it (yes, really). “If you’re not super good at roasting a chicken, get a really good rotisserie chicken. Heat it up in the oven, carve it and no one will notice.”
She continues, "Remember that you’re not hosting people to show off your culinary skills. You’re hosting people to spend time with them. And so, creating a menu that will put you in the right headspace to socialize and not put you in the headspace to have a panic attack is ideal. And also a menu that will get you out of the kitchen."
Below, Hayden walked us through some of the hosting essentials she swears by, from her favorite multipurpose kitchen tool to the hack she uses to clean up at the end of the night.
Shopping Diaries: Meredith Hayden
Her secret for perfect dinner photos:
Hayden calls her partnership with Adobe a "no-brainer," since she says that she's been using the brand's products since "the inception of Wishbone Kitchen." "People ask me all the time, 'What camera do you use? Oh my gosh, who took those photos?' It’s literally my phone with Lightroom," she says.
While she says she remembers being somewhat intimidated the first time she used it, she shares, "Once you realize the presets are so easy and fine-tuning things, like sharpness and the light, the exposure, saturation, also the vibrance, it truly can transform a photo."
She also uses the brand's Express software for things like menus, name cards and even Instagram stories. "It's also so easy and very, very user-friendly."
Her favorite kitchen tool:
"I use [my Microplane] for literally everything," Hayden says. "For zesting citrus, grating cheese, grating nutmeg over a cocktail ... I bring my Microplane everywhere."
Her hosting must-have:
One essential that she says every host should have is "a really good set of white plates." That way, you're free to focus on other details, like seasonal centerpieces, fun napkins or other accessories. "Don’t think that you need to splurge on expensive and very intricate seasonal plates and flatware. Just know you can always dress up a white plate. It’s kind of like my jeans and a white T-shirt outfit, where you can add accessories — you can dress it up, you can dress it down. It could be good for a casual lunch, but it could also be good for a very formal holiday dinner."
Juliska is one of her go-to brands. "I have a set from them, and I love it. They have a few collections of different designs of white plates. So you could really pick your poison. And they have matching serveware, matching bowls." (As an added bonus, they also have an outlet site where you can find items for a heavy discount!)
Her final tip for dinnerware: "[Get] a set of eight. The sweet spot, six, sometimes isn't enough. And say you had cereal that morning, now you have to hand-wash the bowl."
The post-party clean-up essential she swears by:
"In kitchens, you see people cleaning up with hot soap and water, a sponge and rags, that’s how you clean off all the surfaces. But then with home chefs, you see a lot of surface spray," she says. "My go-to is to usually start with hot soapy water, scrub everything with it, get the suds off and then go in with the spray to sort of polish. I think more people should be doing dish soap and water. It’ll save money, it goes a longer way than the spray and it really gets those tough stains out of your stove in the crevices."
Her favorite cleaning products come from Mrs. Meyers (she has previously partnered with the brand). "The Mrs. Meyers Snowdrop scent is my favorite scent of all time," she says. "I want them to make it a permanent scent year-round. It’s only a winter thing, so I literally, last January, ordered six bottles of the spray, six bottles of the dish soap."
Her pre-party skin care hero:
"I always do something that’ll absorb sweat because I’m usually pretty sweaty," she says of her pre-party skin care routine. "I just actually started trying the One/Size Sweat Wicking Makeup Primer and then they also have a setting spray that mattifies your makeup and then makes it stay all night ... doing your skin care so that your skin’s hydrated and you’re feeling good, but then using products that are just gonna cement everything to your face, is perfect."
Her end-of-the-night beauty must-have:
"After I host any dinner party, I do force myself to take a shower because I’m like, I smell like roast beef. I’m not even washing my hair. It’s one of those nights where you’re like, I need to wash my face so intensely, but I don’t want the water dripping down my arms, I just need to be in the shower," Hayden says.
To help with that, she likes this face wash from Tatcha. "I like their rice cleanser because it has little, gentle beads that also exfoliate," she shares. "I have contacts, so I don’t usually use makeup remover, because it gets in my eyes and it’ll cloud up my eyes for a few days ... I stick with face wash, and that one that gets it all off."
Her go-to shoe for long days in the kitchen:
"I have Dansko non-slip nurse clogs ... the whole thing with professional kitchens is that you have to legally wear a non-slip shoe and there are limited options. So Danskos were my go-to."
These clogs are a popular option for all kinds of professionals who spend long days on their feet, from nurses to people who work in restaurants.
Her hack for tired feet:
"My old apartment, it was one of those high-rises with fully concrete everything, and the floors were rock hard. I would stand up and wash dishes for, 30 minutes and be like, Oh my God, everything is aching. I just want to be barefoot in my apartment!"
So she was inspired to get an anti-fatigue mat, which she now swears by when she's cooking at home. (Especially since she's still recovering from a torn ACL and surgery earlier this year.) "I literally will, as I’m going through the kitchen doing different tasks, I’ll bring it with me, it makes such a difference."
Her favorite crowd-pleasing gift:
While Hayden says this vinegar, which is made in Italy by famed chef Massimo Bottura, is about the same price as a bottle of wine, it is a gift that will go further. "What I like about the balsamic is that it’s not just like a one-night sort of gift where they drink it and they’re [done]. They’ll use it for months, if not a year. Every time they use it, they’ll think of you."
