Fifteen years ago, New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo bemoaned the “infantilization of dining” as white tablecloths — elegant, urbane — disappeared from the city’s upscale dining rooms.

A tablecloth is the backdrop to a dinner party. When setting the stage for your delicious bites to follow, you could go for a muted all-white vibe, maximal pattern-on-pattern look, or beachy ...