Heather Davey Fusco is a writer & tastemaker based in Nashville, Tennessee. She originally founded Priss & Vinegar in 2011 as a humble, Web 1.0 lifestyle blog, where she wrote daily about her life as a young attorney, newlywed & first-time homeowner. Many busy years, three beautiful children & one cross-country move later, Priss & Vinegar has become a destination for Heather’s signature blend of Southern formality & West Coast irreverence.
Priss & Vinegar believes in gingham & faux bamboo & using the good china, in wearing hair bows & pleated skirts at any age, in *always* taking the trip & throwing the party, in living with wit & beauty in everything that you do. This is supposed to be fun!
How do you like to entertain? What is the vibe (where, feeling, how)?
We LOVE a theme, so whether it’s a casual grill-out with kids running amok in the garden or a formal dinner party, we like to coordinate the playlist, drinks, dinner & tablescape, sometimes even the activities. We’ve served Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks & watched “Lawrence of Arabia” on Dinner & a Movie Night, filled a punch bowl with Tiger Beers & ice for the centerpiece of a Bo Ssam feast, and built our own shot-ski for a legendary Apres Ski dinner party. Our annual Christmas party is a Mele Kalikimaka Mai Tai fete, costumes encouraged!
What are you serving?
Being from California, we adore Mexican food & have a favorite carne asada menu my husband and I can practically cook with our eyes closed! We begin with homemade pico de gallo and crudités sprinkled with black lime powder, salt & a squeeze of lime (so refreshing!), followed by grilled marinated skirt steak, simmered pinto beans (Rancho Gordo beans are le best!), homemade guacamole & stacks of warm tortillas.
What are you sipping?
My husband, Larsen, is an amateur cocktelier – lucky me! – so we’re probably sipping one of his excellent margaritas. He makes a perfect spicy skinny marg & a “Peony Margarita” with fresh watermelon juice that is just the prettiest color.
What are you wearing?
A breezy cotton maxidress (I like the ones from Casey Marks and Mirth) and or jeans & an Ulla Johnson top. I need to be able to move around the kitchen & not fret if cooking gets a little messy!
What are you listening to?
Spotify’s algorithm has got my number, because it came up with a 60’s Latino playlist for me full of Tito Puente and Celia Cruz that is just the right vibe.
How do you make your guests feel special? How do you make them feel at home?
We always welcome guests with one of Larsen’s special cocktails, and despite my best efforts to corral everyone in the living room, we all end up at the kitchen island because it feels so cozy & relaxed. For our littlest guests, I like to put out a tray of special snacks – fresh veggie sticks & hummus, Virginia Diner peanuts, really good potato chips – that I place on a low table & are just for them.
If you are hosting a dinner, what is your go-to centerpiece?
Masses of a single flower – often hydrangea, or peonies or lilacs if they’re in season – arranged in an antique silver punch bowl I found at a local estate sale.
How do you end a celebration?
With a game of dominoes on our Party Porch, probably! We love playing games and dominoes is our favorite, hence the name of our ten month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Domino.
What is your favorite Half Past Seven product to entertain with?
The Petite Pewter Revere Bowls are indispensable! I like to have little salty snacks at Larsen’s cocktail station, like marinated olives, Italian taralli crackers, and Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts. (I always keep a batch on hand!)
Let’s play this or that…
- Charger OR Placemat: Chargers, preferably woven, which are easier to clean & add great texture to a tablescape.
- Stemmed OR Stem-less: Stemmed, because you don’t want to warm up your wine!
- Red OR White: Any old world-style white and red only if it’s Williams Selyem Pinot Noir.
- Tablecloth OR Bare: Bare! I think my dining table is beautiful so I love seeing it.
- Votives OR Taper Candle: Both! I think a mix of candle heights on a table can be so chic.
- Formal OR Informal: Formal in my dreams and informal in reality?!
