We have a lot of dishes at home, mostly a mix and match assortment of things we’ve inherited from family or picked up on the cheap at clearance racks. What I’ve been wanting, hoping for, is a set of classic dinnerware – something with a little heft and a little class to use when having a nice dinner. Enter Oneida’s Chef’s Table collection – available in round, hard square and soft square – whatever style speaks to you, they’ve got the perfect set of classic white dishes that you can integrate with your other dishes easily. I love that I can mix and match these with any of my current dishes without worrying about a clashing pattern.

I was a little bit concerned when I received my collection to review from Oneida – two of the dishes arrived broken inside of their bubble wrap. Despite the many FRAGILE warnings written on the box, it looked like Fed Ex may have played field hockey with it on the way to my apartment. The box was in rough shape and I’m glad only two of the dishes had broken. After emailing Oneida, I found out they’ve been having this problem with FedEx a lot despite their warning labels on the boxes. They shipped me out replacements for my two broken dishes which arrived within a day, in perfect condition.

Still, having gotten two broken dishes right out of the box worried me a little bit. I have a young, clumsy family and most of our dishes are of the impossible to break variety. How long will these dishes last me? A little bit of quick research tells me that the Chef’s Table collection was actually designed to be “chip resistant and tough enough for every family’s active lifestyle” – and while I won’t be handing one to my four year old any time soon – I have to agree that the dishes feel fairly tough in my hands. Having already survived a couple of sessions in the dishwasher and our daughter’s first birthday party, I’m slowly gaining confidence in these classically gorgeous dishes. A friend and I both commented at the party that the dishes felt “just right” in our hands as we sat at the living room couch eating our dinner of spaghetti and fresh salad (photographed above). Oneida comments on their website that “each dinner and salad plate has a special “restaurant rolled edge” to protect it from chipping. [They] also designed a special “finger-touch grip” on the underside of each plate, so you can pick it up even when your hands are wet.”

I definitely appreciate the effort put into that “finger-touch grip” – and I can say that having washed these dishes a few times, I never felt like I might lose my grip on the dish, no matter how wet and soapy they got. Everything about these dishes feel sturdy and comfortable from cleaning, to drying, to eating off of. They definitely fall on the heavier side of  dishware but holding just one or two bowls or plates feels perfectly natural. They are sturdy enough to hold a lot of food but light enough that you can comfortably eat off of them while sitting in the living room, talking to a friend. Dishwasher and microwave safe, I’m fairly confident these dishes will stand the test of time in our family and I look forward to many more dinners with them.

BUY IT! The Chef’s Table collection at Oneida is actually on sale right now. Pick up a 16 piece service for four for just $84.99. Check out Oneida’s website for even more great products for your home – with dishes in dozens of colors and designs as well as flatware and even products for kids and babies – I could easily spend the afternoon drooling over all their great things.

Tips for Easy At-Home Entertaining from NY event stylist and owner of SC3 Group, Angela Giannopoulos:

• Versatility is key. Make considerations when stocking your kitchen cabinets— consider cookware and serving dishes that can be used both for smaller and larger occasions, as well as casual and formal ones.
• Accessorize your home. I often hang on to things that I shouldn’t, but have learned that any little knick knack can come into play when decorating for events. I’ve made candle holders out of mason jars, a menu with a chalkboard and centerpieces using old pitchers.
• Use nature to your advantage. When decorating, use sprigs and blooms grown near your home to add life to your table settings. Various shades of colors found in wildflowers often create an organic energy making a table setting more inviting for guests. Also, arranging flowers in different sized vases can be visually appealing on a long table while single, tall flowers work well with a table for two.
• My last bit of advice is to choose dinnerware that is versatile. Consider something that is durable enough for daily use and chic enough for evening occasions, such as Oneida’s Chef’s Table Collection.  This mix and match collection was designed with a modern look to complement any table setting.

Thanks to Oneida for providing these fabulous dishes for review. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own and I did not receive any other sort of compensation.