The Entertaining Edit: Summer Lobster Bake
June 4, 2026
Celebrate the season with an informal dinner party in the backyard. Good friends, good food, and the kind of easy entertaining summer calls for.
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
The best summer nights happen outside. Set a table where there’s a flat spot—on the lawn, under a pretty tree, or even in front of your garage, carriage house, or barn. Throw a tablecloth over a picnic table and gather chairs from inside. They don’t need to match. It’s not about perfection, it's about celebrating the spirit of summer with friends and family.
KEEP IT EASY
Use everyday favorites—Juliska water glasses, bistro flatware, white ceramic plates—then add our vintage-inspired sailboat napkins and our Americana tablecloth for a festive touch. Finish with place card holders for a bit of structure, votive candles (the more the merrier), and simple flowers. Clip what you can from the yard or keep arrangements to a single stem, as we did with chamomile daisies.
SERVE FAMILY-STYLE
A lobster bake menu is simple and delicious: lobster, shrimp, and clams served with corn, coleslaw, and potatoes. Let the food and dessert be the focal point, as it should be.
FROM OUR RECIPE BOX
Strawberry Shortcake
Made fresh by Chef Ashton Keefe.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups egg whites, about 10 to 12 eggs
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 pint strawberries
1 pint raspberries
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease springform pan with cooking spray and dust with sugar.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup of sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt.
3. In another large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla until foamy. Slowly pour in remaining ¾ cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Sift flour mixture and fold into egg whites until combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake has puffed and is golden brown. Cool slightly and run a sharp knife between cake and pan, release spring form and flip onto a plate. Cool completely.
6. While cake is cooling, add heavy cream to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat heavy cream, slowly adding in powdered sugar, until stiff peaks form. Top cooled cake with whipped cream and decorate with fresh strawberries and raspberries.