Warm and Rustic Thanksgiving Table Setting

Make each setting unique by using different combinations of vintage china, flatware, and glassware. Vintage-rental companies, such as the Currens' source, Austin-based Loot Vintage Rentals (lootvintagerentals.com), are a great resource to find a fun mix.

Get the Look
Royal Albert Moonlight Rose Dinner Plate by Royal Doulton, $50; na.wwrd.com
Tortoise Gold Finition Charger, by Jaune de Chrome, $255; devinecorp.net
American Thumbprint Goblets in Topaz, Cobalt Blue, and Olivine, $34.95/four; store.metmuseum.org
Eclectic flatware, $35/five-piece place setting; laylagrace.com

For an unexpected pairing, use formal china with casual linens, such as this nubby French grain-sack runner and oversize plaid tea towels.

Embellish simple office-store hang tags with individually stamped letters that spell out each guest's name. Use the same technique to make labels for drinks at the bar.

Get the Look
Hudson Kitchen Tea Towel, in Bosco, $19; libecohomestores.com

Upgrade simple blue glass Ball jars with lush bouquets of flowers and foliage. The addition of succulents gives each a true Texas touch. Fill in between the jars with old wicker-covered bottles, pillar candles, and stag horns.

Get the Look
Ball Heritage Collection New Pint Jar, $12.99/six; freshpreservingstore.com

Treat your guests to a second piece of pie to go. Use single-letter stamps to put the word "Pie" on individual wedge-shaped boxes.

Get the Look
Deluxe Pie Box Kits with Forks by A La Modo, $25/25; alamodo.etsy.com

Celebrate Thanksgiving with big flavor and Texas-style ingredients from the Currens.

Recipes:

• Lost in Texas
• Chicken Liver Pâté
• Cranberry-Pecan Chutney
• Herb-Roasted Turkey Legs
• Smoked Turkey Breast
• Green Beans with Citrus and Pecans
• Smoked-Oyster-and-Andouille Dressing
• Brussels Sprouts with Ham and Caramelized Onions
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Honey Swiss Meringue

It didn't take long for the two Texans to seek each other out in culinary school in New York back in 2003. Mary Catherine, a native Austinite, was 18 and Andrew (friends call him Drew) Curren, 7 years older, is from Houston. They bonded over a shared passion for honest home cooking. "We talked about what we'd name our restaurant on our first date," says Drew.

After graduation, they moved to New York City and landed jobs in high-end restaurants. But eventually the two began to long for things that don't come easy in New York: a backyard, a grill, and a dog. It was time to come home. They moved to Austin in 2008, just as the city was poised for a culinary renaissance.

Since then, Drew has amassed a mini-empire of thoughtful restaurants, including 24 Diner, Easy Tiger, and Arro. And each Thanksgiving, the Currens have a full table of enthusiastic eaters.