Yet, amid the whirlwind of recipe development, retail expansion, and motherhood, Roman has never slowed down her home entertaining schedule. It was precisely this constant motion—flitting between the kitchen counter, the dining table, and the front door to greet incoming guests—that made her realize a vital piece was missing from her daily wardrobe: a truly reliable, comfortable pair of shoes designed to handle the heavy foot traffic of hosting without sacrificing style.
That functional footwear gap caught the attention of the footwear brand Margaux, sparking Roman’s very first fashion collaboration. The resulting four-piece collection is engineered specifically to tackle everyday errands, grocery runs, and lively dinner parties without missing a beat. The line features three entirely original designs created specifically for the brand: the Charlie Boot, the Atlantic Clog, and the Parlor Mule. Among them, the Parlor Mule was meticulously developed as the ultimate slip-on footwear choice for when visitors arrive for dinner, offering a relaxed and comfortable silhouette that maintains a polished, put-together appearance.
To mark the launch of the collection, Roman opened up about the practical philosophies and favorite items that keep her evenings running smoothly, proving that great hospitality relies far more on a relaxed atmosphere than on fussy perfection.
For Roman, putting together a seamless evening starts long before the first guest rings the doorbell. Her never-fail hosting outfit is a study in classic, low-maintenance ease: a crisp white button-down shirt paired with dark denim and a comfortable black clog. When it comes to greeting those who arrive, she bypasses elaborate cocktail shakers in favor of absolute efficiency, keeping a batch of 50/50 martinis pre-mixed and ready to pour straight from the freezer.
Her approach to guest lists is equally streamlined. Roman firmly believes that an intimate dinner party maxes out at six people; anything beyond that threshold crosses the line from a sit-down meal into a full-fledged party. When considering the timeless debate over assigned seating, she takes a decidedly relaxed stance, voting "nay" unless specifically asked by guests, at which point she is happy to step in and direct everyone to a seat.
When setting the table, Roman has strong opinions about what works and what to avoid, leaning heavily into materials that improve with time and use. Once firmly dedicated to paper products, she now describes herself as entirely a cloth napkin person. She looks for textiles like pure linen or cotton-linen blends that grow softer with every wash, avoiding anything too precious or expensive. Rather than buying pristine matching sets, she favors vintage linen napkins sourced from Etsy, alongside everyday options from brands like Quince and Crate & Barrel.
Icebreakers at her table are kept refreshingly straightforward. Rather than relying on clever parlor games or forced prompts, she prefers a classic "How are you?" and waits to see how the conversation naturally unfolds. While she acknowledges the charm of formal sit-down dinners, her heart truly lies in the energy of a cocktail party setting where guests can mingle freely.
To make meals look visually appealing, Roman relies on dinnerware that brings an effortless artistry to the table, noting a particular fondness for pieces from Porta, including their Arco dinner plate sets and Frances Palmer Cirrus scalloped plates. Her culinary focus currently centers on tomatoes, pointing out that the late summer and early fall transition period remains their secret, most flavorful season.
While Roman relies on her freezer to get ahead on food preparation, she freely admits that she is famously bad at advance prep, often relying on her instincts to pull a meal together at the last minute. When looking for tablescape inspiration, she skips heavily curated design magazines and instead turns to nature, the park, and the outdoors, preferring an aesthetic that remains loose, wild, free, and intentionally a little messy.
That organic, unpretentious philosophy extends to her serving pieces and floral arrangements. A vintage platter from Puglia almost always makes an appearance on her table, while formal floral arrangements are skipped entirely in favor of whatever seasonal botanicals happen to be available, letting nature dictate the arrangement.
Dessert follows a similar philosophy of shared abundance. Roman champions the idea of a giant, communal bowl of chocolate pudding served with a handful of small spoons for everyone to share, a concept she finds both deeply fun and unexpectedly elegant. When it comes to lighting and ambiance, she believes any candle can successfully set the tone, preferring classic, straightforward beeswax tapers over expensive specialty candles.
Because her dining table and living room share the same open space, transitioning from dinner to lounging after the meal is entirely seamless, naturally occurring right after dessert is finished. And when asked where she prefers to host if she is not entertaining in her own home, Roman offers a characteristic response, noting that she can never quite help herself from taking over the hosting duties wherever she goes.
Ultimately, Roman’s golden rule of entertaining boils down to two simple mandates: relax completely, and never apologize for the food. According to the veteran cook and host, the definitive sign of a truly successful evening is when guests linger so long that the host eventually has to gently suggest everyone finally head home so the house can finally go to sleep.
