A Procrastinator's Guide to Christmas dining: It's not just Chinese restaurants

Ah, the holidays. Head to your favorite restaurant this weekend and you may find that not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.

A big dinner out on Christmas Eve has become something of a trend, and as a result more and more restaurants are staying open, not only among the traditional stalwarts of hotel restaurants and ethnic eateries but also among the general high-end dining landscape. A quick check shows about 75 percent of restaurants on Open Table are serving past 7 p.m. on this Friday, with reservations to spare. A few are offering a special or prix fixe menu — including Mockingbird Bistro, Ibiza, and Le Mistral — but most places will be serving their regular menu before the post-holiday slowdown.

Christmas is still a little trickier, but whether your tastes run to The Palm or House of Pies, there's a place for everyone — if you look hard enough. Whether you're looking for a casual post-movie meal or are making Christmas dinner a no-cooking event, we've picked the best places to head.

Sugar plums may or may not be on the menu.

Hotel Restaurants

• *17 — Prix fixe three-course dinner, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., $55
• Bistro Alex — Special three-course menu with choice of ham, beef or snapper, $32-42
• Monarch — Open all day with regular menu
• Quattro — An plentiful Christmas brunch runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for $77; three-course dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for $60.
• Shula's Steak House — Regular menu and three-course option ($40-$55)

American/Steak

• Hubbell & Hudson Market & Bistro — Regular menu and chef specials
• House of Pies — All the usual suspects
• McCormick & Schmick's — Both the Town & Country and Uptown Park locations are open, with a full menu and holiday specials
• Ruth's Chris — Open from 4-9 p.m.
• Smith & Wollensky — Open 12-9 p.m., featuring full menu plus a la carte holiday specials
• The Palm — Open 5-11 p.m. with full regular menu

Asian/South Asian/Middle Eastern

• Cafe Chino — Dinner buffet from 5-10 p.m., $19
• Gigi's Asian Bistro — All-you-can-eat dim sum from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ($15) and a full menu through 11 p.m.
• Kiran's — Indian Brunch buffet, seatings at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., $45
• The Moghul's Restaurant — Just opened South Asian cuisine on the west side, serving buffet from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., $16
• Sushi King — Open from 5 p.m. - 12 a.m. with full menu
• Sushi Raku — Full sushi menu from 4-10 p.m., also good for drinks.

Etc.

• Charivari — Full European menu from 5-11 p.m.
• Katz's Deli — It never closes
• Pradaria Steaks & Churrascaria — South American-style Christmas brunch from 12-4 p.m., $23
• Red Lion — Full pub fare and drinks served from 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
• Studio Movie Grill — Do it all in one spot