4 steps to throwing a successful dinner party, according to the CEO of a foodie site with 8 million readers

Before launching Tasting Table, a foodie site with an audience of 8 million readers, CEO Geoff Bartakovics worked in the world of finance as a business manager in fixed income trading at UBS.

But even though he spent seven years in banking, his true passion has always been food. Author of the upcoming book "Tasting Table: Cooking with Friends" and a cook since he was just nine, Bartakovics knows a thing or two about how to please a hungry group of guests.

We recently visited Bartakovics' New York City home, a delightful two-story, one-bedroom apartment that's situated in an old carriage house in Soho. We learned a lot about one of his favorite hobbies: hosting dinner and cocktail parties.

Here are his best hosting tips.