Restaurants Offer Christmas Eve, Day Meals
Many area restaurants are offering special Christmas menus. Most are available on Christmas Eve, but a few where noted are also open on Christmas day. If you don’t want to cook, check out these options to give you more time to enjoy your presents or spend time with family.
14K Restaurant in the Hamilton Crown Plaza, 1001 14th St. NW, will serve Christmas Eve Christmas Day dinner from 4-10 p.m. for $58 per person. The four-course prix-fixe menu includes wild mushroom and truffle soup; pomegranate and green apple salad with goat cheese and chives; and ruby cake, chocolate sabayon mousse with two layers of chocolate dacquoise filled with pistachio mousse and finished with red chocolate. Entrée choices include roasted turkey with giblet gravy, fire roasted vegetables, savory herb stuffing and traditional cranberry sauce; pan seared Atlantic Salmon with spinach risotto and charred tomato vinaigrette; or herb crusted prime rib with cremini mushrooms, mascarpone potato puree and bourbon black peppercorn sauce.
701 Restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, will serve a classic three-course, prix fixe Christmas feast from 5-10 p.m. for $60 for adults or $30 for children 12 and younger. Starters include lamb neck ravioli with chervil beurre fondue, Ossau-Iraty cheese and braised pearl onion; foie gras with huckleberry, red kuri squash and pepita brittle served with brioche; Beausoleil oyster soup with sherry and porcini mushroom served with crackers; and brandade tots made with salt-cured black cod, potato, crème fraîche and caviar. Entrée options include wood-roasted celery root with carrot sformato, chestnut soubise and truffle jus; caramelized cauliflower ravioli with perigord truffle, robiola espuma and celery; crispy skin orata with sunchoke, roasted garlic, lemon sabayon and braised cabbage; and dry aged duck breast with caramelized endive, polenta, pomegranate and chestnut. Dessert choices include winter citrus with curd, ice cream, suds and hazelnut granola; eggnog Bavarian with rum cake, cinnamon streusel and apple emulsion; gingerbread cake with pear, pomegranate and brittle served with bourbon ice cream; and chocolate with mango, pistachio and extra virgin olive oil. Diners can also order from the seasons a la carte menu. Live jazz will be played throughout the evening.
All Set Restaurant & Bar, 8630 Fenton St., Silver Spring, will serve and a la carte brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The menu include blueberry pancakes with macerated berries and whipped cream; chicken and biscuits, fried chicken, sriracha-cheddar biscuits and maple sausage gravy served with home fries; shrimp and polenta with Cajun cream sauce, onions, green peppers, celery and Andouille sausage; smoked salmon avocado toast with dill cream cheese and pickled red onion and capers served with a mixed green salad. Also available will be a lobster roll served with fries; breakfast burger with fried egg, bacon and white cheddar served with home fries; and eggs benedict, served four different ways: classic, crab cake, florentine or fried oyster. Dishes are priced from $12-$36 each.
Ardeo+Bardeo, 3311 Connecticut Ave. NW will offer a seasonal la carte menu from 5-9 p.m. Appetizers include acorn squash salad with tiger figs, cranberries, cilantro and lemon vinaigrette; beet carpaccio with blue cheese, pickled garlic scapes, gala apples and mint vinaigrette; and crispy pork belly sliders with pickled daikon, onion marmalade and pomegranate. Main course options include angolotti with ricotta, lobster mushrooms and lemon; braised short ribs with butternut squash spaetzle, charred cipollini and jalapeño; venison with gnocchi, sweet potato, baby corn and port wine jus; and grilled swordfish with Chinese broccoli, caponata and ginger-soy. Desserts include a chocolate pistachio torte with milk chocolate glaze, strawberry coulis, salted caramel gelato and whipped cream; or caramelized honey crème brûlée with mixed berries and almond shortbread. Prices range from $9-$28 each.
Bastille, 606 N. Fayette St., Alexandria, will serve a four-course, prix fixe dinner for $75 from 5-10 p.m. Appetizer includes a choice of seafood chowder, boudin de noel or smoked salmon and caviar. Salad selections include endive and frisee salad, roasted mushroom and arugula salad or Caesar salad. Entrée selections include beef striploin roast with Cabernet-truffle sauce, gratin potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots and mushrooms; turkey with chestnut and sausage stuffing, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and gravy; or butter poached Maine lobster with lobster risotto, caramelized fennel and carrots, and lobster butter sauce. For dessert, choices include a chef’s selection of artisanal cheeses; chocolate soufflé cake with Valrhona chocolate crèmeux, brandied cherries and chocolate ice cream; pamplemousse Napoleon with vanilla bean chiboust, ruby grapefruit and rosemary ice cream; or tiramisu with espresso ice cream and chocolate coffee crunch.
Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW will offer a traditional feast of seven fishes six-course tasting menu from 5-9:30 p.m. for $65 per person. Dishes include yellowfin tuna crudo with orange, pickled peewee potatoes; salt cod zeppole with whole grain mustard aioli; pan rustic with shrimp paté, roasted garlic, lemon and caviar; bucatini pasta with sea urchin, lobster and chives; and monkfish saltimbocca with prosciutto, sage brown butter and crispy spinach. Dessert will be cannoli with ricotta gelato, pistachio crumble and candied citrus.
Blackwall Hitch, 5 Cameron St., Alexandria, is offering a three-course, prix fixe menu in addition to their regular a la carte menu from 3-9 p.m. for $49 per person. Dishes include a choice of butternut squash and fennel soup with aromatic vegetables and garnished with apple cider cream and toasted pumpkin seeds; or an autumn harvest salad with roasted baby sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds, candied nuts, carrots, arugula and pomegranate-cider vinaigrette. The main course is a choice of surf and turf with filet mignon and poached lobster tail, butter-whipped potatoes, roasted asparagus with rosemary salt, white truffle oil, bordelaise sauce and tarragon butter; pan-seared Chilean sea bass with wild mushroom-thyme cous cous, roasted baby carrots and lemon-butter sauce; or lamb loin chops crusted with pistachio-whole grain mustard butter served with smashed rainbow fingerling potatoes and roasted asparagus with rosemary salt drizzled with white truffle oil. Dessert includes a warm chocolate chip cookie skillet with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream; or banana walnut Smith Island cake.
Centrolina, 974 Palmer Alley NW in CityCenterDC, is serving a four-course family-style Feast of the Seven Fishes from 5-10 p.m for $75 per person. The family-style meal features appetizers of Venetian whipped cod and grilled polenta; wood roasted Rappahannock oysters and nduja butter; and cruder of winter sashimi with citrus and olive oil. The second course includes spaghetti with baby clams, garlic and parsley; and calamari with fennel sausage, tomato and pepperoncino. The third course includes Italian ramen with squid ink, shrimp, clams, octopus, calamari, cod branzino, scallions and tomato; Rhode Island sea scallops with charred spinach and raisin caper butter; broccoli raab with anchovy and garlic; and eggplant parmigiana. Dessert is cartellate, a fried pastry drenched in chocolate sauce. Only the special menu will be served that evening.
Legal Sea Foods will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at four of its area location: 704 Seventh St. NW from noon-9 p.m. both days; Tyson’s Galleria in Mclean from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Christmas Eve and noon-9 p.m. Christmas day; 2301 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, from noon-9 p.m. both days; and National Hall at Ronald Reagan National Airport from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. both days. The holiday menu includes blackened tuna sashimi pan-seared and sliced with sesame chili vinaigrette, seaweed salad and wasabi; bang bang cauliflower with kung pao sauce; crab cake, with mustard sauce served with a seasonal salad; Anna’s baked Boston cod with seasoned crumbs, roasted tomato, spinach and jasmine rice; cioppino with lobster, scallops, shrimp, calamari, littleneck clams, mussels and whitefish in a light tomato broth; baked stuffed lobster with shrimp and scallop buttery cracker stuffing; and a fisherman’s platter with fried shrimp, scallops, calamari and whitefish.
Lupo Verde, 1401 T St. NW, will serve a traditional feast of seven fishes menu for $75 per person from 5-11 p.m. in addition to its regular menu. The feast includes scallop crudo with black truffle, foie gras torchon and veal jus; crespella, stuffed with calamari, mussels, octopus, salmon, bechamel sauce and black trumpet mushrooms; ravioli with burrata cheese, butter poached lobster carpaccio, smoked mussel consommé and shaved cured egg yolk; and fried cod with truffle mashed potatoes, caramelized onion, parsley mousse and caviar. For dessert, diners will have traditional Italian panettone and prosecco zabaglione.
Masseria, 1340 Fourth St. NE, will serve a traditional feast of the seven fishes meal from 5-9:30 p.m. for $115 per person. The menu features kampachi crudo with hearts of palm, sea beans, blood orange and fennel; frito misto with calamari, oysters, clams, cauliflower and lemon; spaghetti nero, black spaghetti with Catalinia Island sea urchin, aglio, olio and pepperoncino; capitone with eel, onion, red wine vinegar and pane fritto; stoccafisso with cod, potato, tomato, garlic and oregano; and deliza al limone, an Amalfi Coast lemon cake.
Nopa Kitchen + Bar, 800 F St. NW, will offer a seasonal a la carte menu from 5-9 p.m. Selections include pan roasted Rohan duck breast with tatsoi, oyster mushrooms, roasted pear-carrot purée and foie gras mousse priced at $32; and pan roasted Hokkaido scallops with Meyer lemon, sturgeon caviar, beets, romesco cauliflower and Szechuan peppercorn emulsion priced at $30.
The Oval Room, 800 Connecticut Ave. NW, is serving a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. for $60 per person or $95 with wine pairings. The menu features first course options such as braised calamari with San Marzano tomatoes, parmesan polenta, fresh chilies, basil and Meyer lemon; foie gras mousse with black walnuts, panettone, red wine apple butter, pickled golden raisins and tuille; and house-cured salmon with everything bagel croutons, spruce, pickled red pearl onions and dill crème fraiche. Entrées include pan roasted venison with avocado purée, charred salsify, cipollini onions and huckleberry jam; pan seared striped bass with braised bacon, purple potatoes, baby leeks, piquillo peppers and razor clam vinaigrette; Christmas goose with fried Brussels sprouts, honeynut squash purée, roasted quince and pineapple sage; and barley “risotto” with celery root, black trumpet mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts and aged pecorino cheese. Dessert offering include poached pear tart with toasted almonds and Tahitian vanilla ice cream; trio of mini cannoli with ricotta cheese, Sicilian pistachio and chocolate chip; and bittersweet chocolate pot de crème with caramelized sweet potatoes and charred meringue.
Red’s Table, 11150 South Lakes Drive, Reston, is offering seasonal specials in addition to it’s a la carte menu from 4-10 p.m. Offerings include a 12-ounce N.Y. Strip au poivre with mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and hollandaise, which is priced at $36. For dessert, guests can order candy cane pie with peppermint cream, dark chocolate glaze and fudge sauce or a holiday sundae with eggnog ice cream, ginger snaps, whipped cream and caramel for $7 each.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.