Christmas is a time for family, fun, and, of course, plenty of food. For those who’d rather skip the stress of preparing an elaborate meal, many restaurants are offering special menus. Here’s what’s being served this holiday season.
Adour
Four courses, $95
First course: Chilled Maine lobster medallions with celery remoulade and coral dressing; pumpkin velouté with bacon and wild mushrooms; seared foie gras.
Second course: Seared Chatham cod with clams and baby squid; seared scallop with endive and black-truffle jus; pasta Milanese with saffron-tomato marmalade.
Third course: Venison medallion with winter vegetables and poivrade sauce; Black Angus tenderloin and short ribs with butternut squash, celery, Yukon potatoes, and velours sauce; duck breast with figs and glazed beets; fall-root-vegetables cookpot.
Dessert: Choice of yule log (Black Forrest or Champagne-and-raspberry); Adour’s chocolate bar; vacherin made of pear, cassis, and chestnut.
Serving times: Christmas Day, 2:30 to 8:30.
Againn
3 courses, $65; $90 with wine pairings
First course: Seafood terrine with scallop mousse, Loch Duart salmon, cod, shrimp, dill aïoli, and mâche.
Main course: Christmas goose, Brussels sprouts, bacon, potatoes, and bread sauce.
Dessert: Christmas pudding with currants, raisins, and brandy anglaise.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5:30 to midnight.
Bibiana
Five-course Feast of Seven Fishes, $75
Savory courses: Salt cod with potatoes, onions, garlic, and chilies on grilled bread; shrimp, calamari, smelts, oysters, cauliflower, and lemon; black spaghetti with sea urchin; grilled eel with onion compote and red-wine vinaigrette.
Dessert: Sponge cake with lemon-cream filling.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5:30 to 10:30.
Bistrot Lepic & Wine Bar
Three courses, $49.50; cheese course available for an additional $8
Appetizers: Chestnut soup with duck confit; duck-foie-gras boudin with parsley mousse and wine reduction; smoked-salmon terrine; endive salad with Asian pears, walnuts, and Roquefort.
Main course: Leg of lamb with mushroom sauce; braised boneless beef cheeks with cauliflower gratin and red-wine sauce; poached Maine lobster with ginger and lime; King salmon with spinach fondue and sorrel sauce; selection of winter vegetables.
Dessert: Hazelnut-and-Grand Marnier Christmas log with chocolate sauce.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5:30 to 10:30.
Blue Duck Tavern
Three-course buffet-style brunch, $90; children six to 12, $42.50; children under six are free
Appetizers: Potato purée with garlic confit; polenta with blue cheese; whole-grain-mustard spaetzle “mac-n-cheese,” with duck confit; oven-roasted artichokes; celery-root-and-pear purée; Brussels sprouts with bacon and vinegar-glazed red onion; cauliflower-and-almond-milk gratin.
Main course: Belgian waffle with blackberry preserves; eggs Benedict with Irish bacon and Hollandaise sauce; sunny-side up eggs and cod cakes; roasted loin of venison with date glaze; slow-roasted rib eye; jumbo-lump crabcakes; braised striped bass with fennel, carrots, and yellow onion; duck breast with duck-leg ragout and huckleberry.
Dessert: Selection of house-made desserts from the pastry pantry.
Serving times: Christmas Day, 10:30 to 3:30.
Dino
Five course Feast of Seven Fishes, $49; children 11 and under, $20
Appetizers: Scallop marinated in lime juice and olive oil; gorgonzola-and-anchovy crostini; cured Alaska cod with spicy tomato sauce.
Soup course: Italian “Wedding of the Sea” soup with fish meatballs in seafood stock.
First course: Linguine with shrimp, mussels, squid, and fish in spicy garlic marinara.
Second course: Whole fish for two; grilled rockfish with tomato, olives, garlic, and greens.
Dessert: Selections from the restaurant’s dessert menu (choices include apple and pistachio cakes, house-made gelato, Nutella and mascarpone with bourbon-soaked cherries, and tiramisu).
Serving times: December 16 through 24.
Mio
À la carte menu; appetizers $9 to $13, entrées $20 to $24
Appetizers: Calamari stuffed with plantain and pancetta; spinach salad with balsamic-guava dressing; mashed green plantain and shrimp; duck-liver terrine; ceviche with sweet potato and Peruvian corn; grilled veal sweetbreads with chimichurri; Puerto Rican fritter assortment; tempura shrimp with avocado-tomato salsa; San Juan-style sliders made with pork, chicken, and beef.
Main course: Fall-vegetable risotto; whole red snapper; steak with onions, rice, and beans; plantain-coated North Carolina black grouper; pan-roasted half Amish chicken; seafood stew and rice; duck breast with guava glaze and beet rice; pork tenderloin and root-vegetable purée; grilled trout with roasted corn and fingerling potatoes.
Serving times: Friday and Saturday through December, 5 to 11.
Potenza
Eight-course Feast of Seven Fishes, $199 per couple ($99 for each additional person)
Savory courses: Artichoke tart with stracciatella and tomato coulis; seared shrimp with orange sauce and balsamic vinegar; salmon mignonette over cous cous; stuffed lobster with crab arreganata; poached sea bass with mussels, clams, and zucchini; seared diver scallops with potato; balsamic-glazed tuna with warm lentil salad.
Dessert: Chocolate-glazed pandoro with hazelnut sauce and gelato.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5 to 11.
Seasons
Buffet brunch (Champagne included), $100; children, $50
Main course: Made-to-order omelets; carving station with prime rib, rack of lamb, salmon, country ham, turkey, and crabcakes; seafood station with shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half shell, seared scallops, and crab-pimento cheese on crisp toast.
Sides: Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon; foie-gras stuffing; cauliflower gratin; toasted polenta cakes with fontina and mushrooms; five-bean salad; chestnut soup; mixed greens with apples, walnuts, and blue cheese.
Dessert: Maple-bourbon tart; chocolate-peppermint cake; pumpkin crème brûlée; cinnamon-and-caramel apple cake.
Serving times: Christmas Day, 10 to 3.
701
Three courses, $55
Appetizers: Chestnut soup; roasted-porcini-and-escarole salad; prosecco-poached lobster.
Main course: Pan-roasted pheasant breast and stuffed leg with Brussels sprouts and persimmon sauce; black bass with crab gnocchi and blood-orange-braised fennel; ricotta-and-apple ravioli with shaved black truffles.
Dessert: Egg-nog crème brûlée; buche de noel with mushroom meringue and coffee cream.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5 to 11.
Bastille
Three courses, $49; optional wine pairings, $29
First course: Maine-lobster bisque; endive-and-mache salad with dried cherries, blue cheese, and pine nuts; Hudson Valley foie gras terrine.
Main course: Slow-roasted ham with maple-spice jus, cheddar mashed potatoes, cabbage, and apples; beef pot roast with shallot-and-porcini sauce, cheddar mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach; Muscovy duck-leg confit and roasted duck breast with cranberry gastrique, braised cabbage, and apples; Irish salmon filet with three-mustard sauce, braised cabbage, and apples.
Dessert: Buche de Noel; apple beignets with caramel; pumpkin praline pie with Armagnac-and-nutmeg anglaise.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5 to 9.
Casa Nonna
Four-course Feast of Seven Fishes, $42
Antipasti: Venetian whipped salt cod with crostini and red-and-green tapenade; grilled-baby-octopus salad; steamed mussels in garlic, white pepper, and white wine.
First course: Semolina pearl pasta, calamari, shrimp, and swordfish in a spicy tomato sauce; homemade spaghetti with garlic, clams, Calabrese chile, and white-wine sauce.
Second course: Stuffed swordfish with lemon-herb sauce; sautéed shrimp in a white-wine sauce with lemon, garlic, and parsley; cauliflower in garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs; broccoli rabe with garlic, anchovy, and hot pepper.
Dessert: Honey-dipped pastry puffs with candied fruit; Pannetone bread pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla gelato.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5:30 to 11 PM.
Corduroy
Three courses, $55; children 12 and under, $30
First course: Kabocha-squash soup; Bordeaux spinach salad with sherry vinaigrette; wild-mushroom blintz with red-wine sauce; salad of beets, baby carrots, and goat cheese; seared sea scallops with Hungarian-red-pepper sauce and truffled frisée.
Main course: Crispy Long Island striped bass with saffron fettucini; peppered rare big-eye tuna with sushi rice and hijiki; roast turkey with sausage stuffing, gravy, root-vegetable mash, green beans, and cranberry sauce; prime-beef striploin with rutabaga gratin; braised Niman Ranch pork belly and savoy cabbage.
Dessert: Selection of house-made ice creams; pistachio bread pudding; local-apple tart tatin; pumpkin tart; chocolate-hazelnut bars.
Serving times: Christmas Day, 1 to 10:30.
Plume
Four courses, $125; children 12 and under, $60
Appetizers: Roasted medallion of foie gras with black truffle, baby artichokes, and Parmesan emulsion; salmon carpaccio with a caviar trio, preserved lemon, micro dill, and horseradish wafers.
First course: Roasted diver scallops with wilted chard, parsnips, and cinnamon velouté.
Second course: Milk-fed poularde, seasonal vegetables, and shaved winter truffles; roasted filet of prime dry-aged beef with a oxtail-and-foie-gras ragout and pommes mousseline.
Dessert: Coffee-scented joconde with clementine, gingerbread ice cream, and date emulsion; Tonka ivory mousse, cherry compote, and lemon meringue.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 6 to 9:30.
Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert
Three courses, $75
Appetizers: Black-walnut-and-cauliflower velouté with smoked trout roe on toasted bread; Nantucket scallops with corn-leek-and-black-trumpet succotash.
Main course: Scotch pheasant with chestnut-and-giblet stuffing and truffled pan jus; poached wreckfish with braised spicy kale, hazelnuts, and apples.
Dessert: Vanilla-cinnamon soufflé with graham-cracker ice cream and chocolate; butterscotch bread pudding with caramel buttons and sweet thyme.
Serving times: Christmas Eve, 5:30 to 11.
