While some people adore spending hours poring over recipes, shopping for the finest ingredients ... and then roasting, baking, and glazing (and, more than likely, dish-washing), some of us are looking for a break at the holidays.
For those of who are just as happy to leave the festive cooking to the experts and enjoy spending the holidays catching up with friends and family, Holidash has rounded up the U.S.'s finest restaurants for seasonal celebrations. All of these spots are as classic and comfortable for Grandma and Grandpa as for baby's first Christmas dinner!
Circa 1886
149 Wentworth Street
Charleston, South Carolina
843-853-7828
The elegant dining room at Charleston's Circa 1886.
Circa 1886 is beloved by locals and visitors alike for its distinctive annual Dickens Dinner. Each holiday season-this year it will occur on the evening of December 16 at 6:30 p.m.-the restaurant hosts a Victorian-England-themed celebration. Local storyteller Tim Lowry gives a lively reading of the classic Charles Dickens tale A Christmas Carol, accompanied by a $70 four-course dinner with dishes inspired by the novel.
Circa 1886 is a family-friendly treasure, and offers a wealth of other festive dining. Special Events Manager Ginny Servers explains, "We also offer a Progressive Dinner, $95 per person, which runs through December 31 and a New Year's Eve Dinner, $100 per person. We will be open for regular service, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and will be offering our regular menu on Christmas Eve. We definitely do welcome children. Our chef, Marc Collins, always prepares a special antelope dish, unique every year -- it's always delicious and is his specialty."
You may make reservations for dinner at Circa 1886, a AAA Four Diamond Award-winner on OpenTable.com. Reservations for special events, such as the Progressive Dinner or Dickens Dinner, by calling 843-853-7828-and, if available, tables can be reserved up until the day of the desired date.
The Russian Tea Room
150 West 57th Street
New York, New York
212-581-7100
Thank goodness it's back, and it's better than ever! Manhattan's glittering, decadent, truly over-the-top Russian Tea Room was, sadly, shuttered for a few years recently, but it's been restored with loving care and is the destination for a Christmas dinner you and your guests will never forget. Nestle yourselves in one of their signature red banquettes (with green walls-it's always Christmas there) and start the vodka flowing. The Tea Room is serving an incredible four-course, decidedly Russian, but with modern twists, meal for $105 per person ($50 per child) on Christmas Day.
Marc Taxiera, executive chef at Russian Tea Room: "The holidays here are always popular here, especially with the kids. What I have done is worked to put a more modern spin on our traditional dishes. For example, we are serving the beef stroganoff with filet mignon stuffed with mushrooms, and foie gras, over herb egg noodles, with porcini cream and a red-wine reduction. The décor is just as extravagant as ever, and we're getting a lot of people who have been before. We have classic cocktails and new twists on the classics. If you've been here before, you'll feel at home. If you haven't, you'll get a sense of what the Russian Tea Room used to be like."
The Russian Tea Room, originally built in 1926, set near Manhattan's Carnegie Hall, has six stories of dining rooms, so there's usually plenty of room for all. Naturaly, the fancy Russian dishes are their most well-known and popular: Chicken Kiev, the aforementioned Boeuf à la Stroganoff, and caviar top the list; the restaurant's newest addition (and a fine one at that) is high tea. Reservations for Christmas dinner are still plentiful at the time of this writing, simply call 212-581-7100.
The Signature Room
875 North Michigan Avenue, 95th Floor
John Hancock building
Chicago
312-787-9596
Set atop the 95-story John Hancock tower, Chicago's Signature Room has a view that can't be beat, and they will be serving a special, celebratory meal on Christmas Eve and Day. In addition to their savory winter menu (and Chicagoans know from cold-weather cooking!), Executive Chef Patrick Sheerin will be adding wonderfully traditional items such as roasted goose and fresh winter truffles (his squash soup, featured on the menu all through December, is also a winner). Save room, though, their Signature White and Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake is to die for!
"We are very kid friendly!" says Reservations Manager and Concierge of the Signature Room, Jennifer Hesser. "The views are outstanding, we really feel that anyone -- regardless of age -- is always in awe of it. Plus, we have a children's menu available for lunch and dinner." Hesser explains that the Signature Room's average entrée price is $15 for lunch and $35 for dinner (and there are special Epicure and Gourmet menus that top out at $80 per person). Sunday brunch is priced at $45 per person and $25 per child between the ages of 4 and 12.
"We will take reservations the day-of as long as there is availability," explains Hesser. "Any party of six people or more books with a credit card because of our 24 hour cancellation policy. If you are booking a reservation for a special event, where a guest would want to order flowers, cakes, or bottles of wine or champagne; we would suggest that they book at least 48 hours in advance. For bookings, call our Reservations Department at 312-787-9596. For parties of 18 or more that would be interested in our Private Dining Spaces, call our Private Dining Department at 312-280-0465. Or please email any questions to moreinfo@signatureroom.com."
The Mansion on Turtle Creek
2821 Turtle Creek Boulevard
Dallas
214-443-4747
Long beloved by Dallas denizens as one of the most elegant and sumptuous dining spots in town, the Mansion Restaurant at this five-star hotel is the best choice for Christmas celebrations in the Lone Star State. This year, diners can choose from a Christmas Eve Dinner, served from 6-9 p.m. $95 per person, $45 for children under 12; and Christmas Day Brunch or Dinner. Brunch will be served 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Both meals include three courses, at $95 per person, $45 for children under 12.
At the risk of causing excessive hunger and drooling among our readers, we've decided to list the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek's entire Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Day Menu 2009; at the time of this writing, the chef was still experimenting with desserts, so we will spare you that portion!
Appetizers
Chestnut soup, crisp shallots and chives
Radicchio and green leaf salad, maytag blue cheese, fresh figs and walnut vinaigrette
Poached gulf prawns, petite greens, citrus vinaigrette
Warm oysters with caviar cream
Venison carpaccio, mache greens and pecorino cheese
Potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms and white truffle foam
Foie gras torchon, toasted brioche and huckleberry gastrique
Smoked Bandera quail stuffed with apples and pecans, petite green salad
Entrées
Roasted pheasant, trumpet mushrooms, brussels sprouts, mushroom cream
Prime filet mignon, roasted fennel, pomme puree and red currant-onion compote
Salmon on horseradish apples, celery root cream and julienne vegetables
Rack of Colorado lamb, cannelini beans and roasted baby carrots
Pan-roasted halibut, butternut squash, brocolini, and toasted hazelnuts
Coriander-crusted monkfish with Lobster minestrone
Prosciutto-wrapped veal loin, fingerling potatoes, baby beets and sage demiglace
Reservations are required and can be made by going to www.mansiononturtlecreek.com or by calling directly to 214-443-4747.
The Pacific Dining Car
1310 West 6th Street
Los Angeles
213-483-6000
This swank, atmospheric restaurant straight out of a Raymond Carver noir will, as always, be delivering delicious holiday meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Open 24 hours, the Pacific Dining Car is a perfect spot for late-night revelers, not necessarily the best spot for kids.
In addition to their holiday meals, they will be serving their famous dry-aged steaks and breakfast all day, as is their tradition. Open since 1921, the Pacific Dining Car is offering the following choices this holiday.
Appetizers
Mini pumpkin soup
Sautéed wild mushrooms in puff pastry
Entrées
Stuffed Cornish hen, mashed potatoes with sage jus
Roasted leg of lamb and rack of lamb persillade with French beans and rosemary sauce
Desserts
Brioche pudding with whisky sauce
Chocolate Christmas log with vanilla sauce
For those who don't like to have to make decisions, the Pacific Dining Car also offers a Holiday Three-Course Set Menu:
Mini pumpkin soup
Stuffed Cornish hen, mashed potatoes with sage jus
Brioche pudding with whisky sauce
Christmas three-course meals are $64.95 (if you just order the main course, $43.95).
For reservations, call 213-483-6000.
Fontana at the Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Avenue
Coral Gables, Florida
305-445-8066
This landmark hotel, built in 1926, has some of the finest dining in the Miami area (the new French-inflected Fontana Restaurant, especially), and they will all be serving special holiday meals on Christmas Eve. Extremely family-friendly, kids are welcome at all times.
This year, Chef de Cuisine Mario Camia's prix-fixe $65 menu will include four courses, and some of the delectable-sounding choices include Carpaccio di Manzo: thinly sliced beef carpaccio, baby arugula, shaved aged grana padano and lemon vinaigrette (first course); fettuccine alla erbe with ragout cinghiale: fresh herb fettuccine with boar ragout (second course); osso bucco: braised veal osso bucco and truffle polenta (third course); and, for dessert, Executive Pastry Chef Olivier Rodriguez's fondant cake tiramisu: Layered lady fingers, espresso, and mascarpone cream.
Make reservations by visiting www.biltmorehotel.com or calling 305-913-3200.
The Fairmont Hotel's Crown Room
950 Mason Street
San Francisco
415-772-5204
This breathtaking classic hotel, set high atop Nob Hill, has been the setting for special events for generations of Bay Area families (fun fact: Alfred Hitchcock even used the exterior for his epic film The Birds).
This year, the Crown Room will be offering a Christmas Day Holiday Buffet, at $96 per adult, and $48 per child age 6 through 12, and is complimentary for children age five and under -- needless to say, the Crown Room is very family-friendly, and even offers a pint-sized buffet especially for children.
Executive Sous Chef Derek Ingraham tells Holidash about some of his delicious Christmas Day plans, "For the brunch we do a salt-brined Diestal Ranch turkey. The turkeys are soaked for three days in salted water before they are roasted, the meat absorbs the salt water making them very juicy when carved and it has a very nice salt flavor." Adds Ingraham,"What's Christmas without sweet potatoes? Our version is a sweet potato gratin that is made with maple syrup and bourbon and then topped with sliced marshmallow and glazed in the oven, a more modern twist on a very traditional dish." Finally, the chef explains one of his favorite new dishes, "We also make a pumpkin seed crusted sea bass. We sear the sea bass then brush it with a pumpkin puree, this allows the pumpkin seed to stick to the fish, we roast the pumpkin seed to give them a roasted flavor, toss them with a little sea salt then crust them on the fish, we serve this with a ragout made with Half Moon Bay butterbeans, fennel and a Sonoma Chardonnay."
For reservations, please call 415-772-5204. Reservations are recommended, though there is no drop-dead date.
The Parker House Restaurant
60 School Street
Boston
617-227-8600
Boston's Parker House restaurant is a classic spot for Christmas dinner.
This New Year's Eve, the Parker House will throw a splendid (prix-fixe) bash for a mere $74; best to book a baby-sitter and go with the revelry (or, New Year's Day brunch is always a family option; prices range from $18 to $25 for children).
"The Parker House's Boston Cream Pie was invented here by a renowned French chef, Sanzian in the 1860s, and has been named the official Massachusetts State Dessert," explains Omni Parker House Marketing Manager Kali Horton. "People travel far and wide just to try it. According to the restaurant's rep, "The Parker House is a special holiday destination because we have a rich culinary legacy in Boston. We have a historic charm and elegance that is rarely found at other locations. We have loyal customers that have been having their holiday meals at Parker's Restaurants for years, for many it is a family tradition that we value and preserve.
Appetizers
Duck consommé with root-vegetable pearls
Smoked-salmon carpaccio with grilled-shitake salad
Salads
Baby arugula, pear, candied pecans, gorgonzola, and a port vinaigrette
Micro greens and bulls' blood, focaccia crisp, and a sherry vinaigrette
Entrées
Lobster Newburg-fresh Maine lobster in sherry cream, Nantucket crumb crust, jasmine rice, and winter vegetables
Pan-roasted herb chicken Statler with rainbow Swiss chard, toasted orzo, and a blood orange-ginger broth
Beef Wellington - 8 oz. filet with foie gras, wild mushroom duxelle baked in a puff pastry, served with a veal reduction
Pan-seared Artic char with tangerine-fennel slaw, winter root vegetable mash, and pea shoots
Desserts
Baked Alaska
Trilogy of chocolate mousse
Dinner includes a glass of champagne and chocolate truffles. Reservations are strongly recommended, and can be made by calling 617-725-1600 or by visiting the dining page.
Cheers, and happy holiday dining to all!
