Aperitivo Hour

Do like the Italians do, and ease your way into dinner by swilling Campari cocktails and noshing on a spread of finger foods.

Ape, the most recent addition to Alessi's barware collection, is the 7-piece minimalist set from industrial designer Giulio Iacchetti that celebrates the beloved Italian aperitivo ritual of light, pre-supper boozing and snacks—in your own kitchen. The pieces, all of varying heights (we love how the Champagne flute-like toothpick holder creates an elegant tabletop when standing sentinel in a bowl surrounded by Sicilian green olives) integrate cool, white thermoplastic resin, stainless steel and wood.

Fill one bowl with chips, serve mixed nuts with a slender spoon in another, and lay out hunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano on the circular cheese board. By the time guests have abandoned their dregs of Prosecco, the table will be clean thanks to the accompanying mini waste receptacle.

Available at Alessi; $50-$66