The Eve's Packed
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