Restaurants Offer to Do Holiday Cooking
Christmas is just over a week away. It is a day of presents and feasting. If you want to give yourself the gift of a day out of the kitchen, there are a few restaurants open besides Chinese restaurants. Some are offering to do the cooking for you, while other have special Christmas Eve meals planned. But with so few options, you better make your reservation now or you’ll be cooking while everyone else is enjoying their gifts.
Christmas Eve
1789 Restaurant, 1226 36th St. NW, will serve holiday specials along with a seasonal a la carte menu from 4-10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Dishes include foie gras torchon with orange marmalade, brioche, Medjool dates, pickled celery and hazelnuts; coddled egg with lobster, oyster mushrooms, fennel and uni foam; bucatini with Nantucket Bay scallops, Meyer lemons, fried capers and parsley; rack of lamb with eggplant caviar, Picholine olives, chickpea panisse, roasted tomatoes and parsley oil; prime rib with pearl onion confit, glazed haricot verts, salt-baked new potatoes, horseradish cream and au jus; and Maine lobster with root vegetable hash, rainbow Swiss chard and truffle butter sauce. Dishes are priced from $20-$48.
701 Restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW will be dishing up a classic Christmas three-course prix fixe feast from 5- 9:30 p.m. for $60 per person and $30 for children 12 and younger. The regular a la carte menu will also be available. Starters on the prix fixe menu include chestnut soup with duck confit and foie gras powder; beets with green apple, pecans and pomegranate vinaigrette; crab beignets with frisée and a carrot romesco sauce; and beef carpaccio with broccoli, fried baguette and cured egg yolk vinaigrette. Entrées include suckling pig with potato polenta, plum jam and piperade; monkfish with salsify, oyster emulsion and lemon thyme; cauliflower shawarma with hummus, tomato jam and Lavosh; and Green Circle chicken with parsnip purée, Brussels sprouts and chermoula. Dessert includes crème brûlée with pumpkin ganache and gingerbread ice cream; butterscotch pudding with apple confit, biscotti and pomegranates; PB&J, peanut butter cheese cake with concord grape ice cream; and the chocolate crémeux with passion fruit ganache, cocoa meringue and vanilla ice cream. Live jazz will be played throughout the evening.
Ardeo+Bardeo, 3311 Connecticut Ave. NW will offer a three-course prix fixe holiday meal for $49 per person or $24 for children 10 and younger along with its a la carte menu from 5-9 p.m. The special menu inclues first course options such as crispy Brussels sprout salad with frisée, poached hen egg and warm bacon vinaigrette; roasted butternut squash soup with cranberry chutney and brown butter croutons; and duck risotto with bing cherry, fennel and kabucha squash purée. Entrées include braised Berkshire pork shoulder with trotter grits, haricoverts and port jus; pan roasted diver scallops with celery root, Winterbor kale and apple cider broth; and sweet potato ravioli with braised root vegetables, red spinach, sage and brown butter. Desserts include white chocolate Bavarian mousse with coffee cremeux, chocolate gingerbread cake and cinnamon stick anglaise; eggnog crème brûlée with gingerbread cookies, pecan crumble and whiskey foam; or fall spiced apple tarte with balsamic fig compote, taleggio and mascarpone ice cream.
Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, 1100 New York Ave. NW will offer a traditional Feast of Seven Fishes five-course tasting menu available from 5-9:30 p.m. for $65 per person. The meal will consist of fish and pasta including Nantucket Bay scallop crudo with pomegranate seeds, mint, caramelized lime and olio verde; raviolo with Maine lobster, burrata, cherry tomatoes and tarragon butter; spaghetti neri, squid ink spaghetti with razor clam, guanciale, pickled chili peppers and aglio e olio; and gamberoni, grilled giant prawn, roasted puntarella, preserved lemon and wild sea urchin butter. Dessert choices include torta, warm molasses cake, crystalized ginger and candied pecans served with brown butter gelato.
Centrolina, 974 Palmer Alley NW, will serve a feast of the seven fishes from 5-10 p.m. for $65 per person and $40 for the optional wine pairing. The meal is served family style and includes antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci courses with dishes like polpo, grilled octopus, potato confit and cotechinata; bucatini with wild prawns, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and Calabrian chile; and pesce spade, swordfish poached in olive oil, parsley, lemon and capers.
DBGB Kitchen and Bar, 931 H St. NW, will serve a holiday a la carte menu from noon-9 p.m. featuring venison orecchiette, sherry glazed duck, coq au vin, seard scallops with crispy sweetbreads and the classic buche de noel for dessert. Dishes range from $8-$41 each.
Del Campo, 777 I St. NW, will serving a feast of the seven beasts for $78 per person and it must be ordered by the entire table. Dishes include venison ceviche with sweet potato, burnt leeks and burnt baby radish; prosciutto with uni and scallop panzanella; and lamb shank with crispy garlic and herb salad.
G by Mike Isabella, 2201 14th St. NW, is serving a traditional feast of the seven fishes from 5-10 p.m. for $65 per person with an optional $35 beverage pairing. The menu includes seafood brodo with poached shrimp, mussels and fennel; an East Coast oyster with warm miso butter and a Wast Coast oyster with cold green tomato mignonette; snapper crudo with Fresno chile, pomegranate and basil; snow crab arrabbiata, hand-cut spaghetti with guanciale and uni; mixed seafood salad; pan seared black bass with farro, cherry and Tuscan kale; and a selection of desserts.
The Hay-Adams Hotel, 800 16th St. NW will offer a three-course prix fixe menu priced at $80 per person from 5:30-10 p.m. The menu includes roasted sunchoke soup with smoked duck; marinated beets with aged goat cheese and pistachios; crispy pork belly with green apple and fennel salad and miso dressing; lobster thermidor with spaghetti squash and pee wee potatoes; and prime rib with creamy Yukon gold potatoes, winter vegetables and sauce bordelaise. Desserts include honey roasted pear tart with rosemary frangipane and Chantilly cloud; and peppermint panna cotta with cranberry gelée, white chocolate and streusel.
L’Hommage Bistro Francais, 450 K St. NW, will serve a four-course tasting menu from 5-10 p.m. for $75 per person. The menu begins with a plat de tartine, torchon de foie gras served on brioche, fig cured duck ham, served on raisin walnut baguette and duck rillettes served on palladin bread, followed by a warm poached pear salad with smoked lardon, roquefort société, candied Basque walnuts and Dijon vinaigrette. The main course includes canard roti e confit, chestnut honey roasted duck breast with confit leg, roasted chestnut and cherry, followed by a selection of petite pastries.
Lupo Verde, 1401 T St. NW, will offer a traditional Feast of Seven Fishes from 5- 11 p.m. for $65 per person. The dinner will consist of fish and pasta, following the Roman Catholic tradition to refrain from the consumption of meat on holy days. The courses represent the seven sacraments and seven days of creation. The meial includes carpaccio di tonno with poached pear, ginger poppy seed dressing and crispy onions; impepata di cozze, sautéed mussels with white wine sauce, dried chilies and toasted bread; capesante gratinate, scallop gratin with herbs, pine nuts and red wine reduction; polpo e patate, seared baby octopus with mashed potatoes, green olive pesto and crispy parmesan; ravioli all’astice, lobster ravioli with smoked bisque and marsala reduction; tagliolini cozze e peperoncino, house- made tagliolini with mussels, green onions, dried peperoncino and San Marzano tomatoes; and rana pescatrice, seared monkfish, potato cream, black truffle, wild mushrooms and orange zest. For dessert, Italian pandoro croccante, wrapped pandoro with dark chocolate, pistachio mousse and orange mint sauce.
Nopa Kitchen + Bar, 800 F St. NW, will offer a seasonal a la carte menu from 5-9:30 p.m. Holiday specials include pan roasted Moulard duck breast duo, crispy leg confit with tatsoi, subarashii pear-carrot purée, and foie gras mousse ($32);pan roasted Hokkaido scallops with Meyer lemon, Earth & Eats beets, roasted cauliflower and a Szechuan peppercorn emulsion ($30).
The Oval Room, 800 Connecticut Ave, NW, is offering a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu from 4:30-9 p.m. for $60 per person or $95 with wine pairings. The menu features first course options such as chestnut velouté with foie gras, maple and winter truffle; “reindeer jerky” with puffed wild rice, Marcona almonds, pink peppercorns and wild spruce; and scallop crudo with winter citrus salad, trout roe and espelette pepper vinaigrette, followed by entrées such as pan seared sole with celery root purée, black trumpet mushroom, Asian pears and a lemon emulsion; venison with roasted sunchoke, heirloom baby carrots and red currents; Christmas goose with cranberry bread pudding, pumpkin spaetzle, quince butter and fried sage; and farro “risotto” with roasted baby beets, mascarpone cheese and fresh horseradish. Dessert includes Valrhona chocolate Bavarian, sponge cake with chocolate mousse and white chocolate pearls; chilled passion fruit soufflé with rum soaked pineapple and coconut anglaise; or “fruit cake,” brown sugar cake with Amarena cherries and eggnog ice cream.
The Source, 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, will offer a roast duck dinner for $65 per person as well as its normal a la carte menu. The roast duck dinner includes a whole roast duck with steamed bao, apricot mostarda, cucumber and pickled daikon; stir fried legs and thighs with wild field mushrooms; duck bone broth with duck dumplings; wok fired beets with crushed pistachios; duck fat fried rice with poached duck egg and 15-layer carrot cake with cream cheese icing, candied walnuts and ginger ice cream.
Station 4, 1101 4th St. SW will offering a three-course, prix fixe menu for $40 per person from 5-11 p.m. The menu starts with an amuse of pork belly with picked cucumber, red sorrel and yuzu vinaigrette followed by a choice of starters such as crab tartar with avocado, cucumber, lemon aioli, chive oil and wasabi foam; beet salad with goat cheese, pistachios, frisée and a cumin vinaigrette; or cream of butternut squash soup with white truffle essence and micro chives. Entrées include house-made lobster ravioli with tomato butter and dill; beef tenderloin with a bone marrow sauce served with potatoes au gratin and asparagus; or butternut squash farro risotto with pecorino cheese and Brussels sprouts. Dessert includes white chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel gelato or double dark chocolate ganache tart with black currant purée and French vanilla ice cream.
Christmas Day
America Eats Tavern in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, will serve a prix fixe brunch for $65 per adult and $25 per child 10 and younger from 7 a.m-2:30 p.m. The buffet will include dishes such as suckling pig jambalaya with andouille sausage, okra,sofrito and Carolina Gold plantation rice; Johnston County ham biscuits with blackberry jam, whole grain mustard, redeye mayonnaise and pickles; cranberry glazed Brussels sprouts with spiced pecans and dried cranberries; shrimp ‘n’ grits with cheddar, pearl onion petals and ham hock; eggs a la Benedick with pork belly and hollandaise sauce; and a holiday cookie table with an assortment of sweet treats inspired by American family recipes.
Blue Duck Tavern, 1201 M St. NW inside the Park Hyatt Washington, will serve a three-course holiday meal from 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. The feast begins with an array of starters set throughout the open kitchen, including seasonal salads, breads, cheese and meats, followed by choice of a plated entrée and side dishes showcasing produce from regional farms. Dishes include shrimp and grits with shellfish butter, stone ground grits, spinach and Tasso ham; slow poached duck egg with heirloom rice, creamed onion and braised kale; apple cider-glazed ham with baby vegetables and maple bourbon jus; and wood oven-roasted whole goose with spiced farm honey. Holiday desserts will be on display in the pastry pantry. Christmas brunch is $110 per person for adults and $55 for children between six and 12. Children younger than six are free. Diners can also order their holiday feast to go by 5 p.m. on Dec. 17. The take-home dinner includes a traditional Christmas ham, freshly baked breads, four traditional sides and two seasonal pies to feed six to eight form $350. A charcuterie and cheese board can be added for $95 with a selection of domestic farmstead cheeses and charcuterie items, along with homemade mustard, seasonal preserves, spiced nuts and crispy Lavash crackers on a handcrafted wooden platter. Dinners can be picked up on Dec. 24 from 1-5 p.m. or Dec. 25 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Orders can be placed online.
Et Voila!, 5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW, will offer holiday specials in addition to their regular a la carte dinner menu from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m and 5-10 p.m. both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Specials range from $10-$38 each and include fois gras with dry pears and raisin brioche; scallop and oyster cocktail tartar; pithivier pie with duck confit and chestnuts, served with an endive and herb salad; lamb shank with truffle polenta; branzino with lobster risotto and porcini mushrooms; or pigeon with smoked potato and cardoons served with a yellow wine reduction. Dessert is buche de noel with chocolate black currant and chestnut flavors. A feast to-go can be ordered until 5 p.m. a week in advance. Dishes available include one pound of salmon gravlax for $45; half-pound of fois gras for $70 and the buche de noel which serves four for $38 or one that serves six for $55. Christmas specials can be picked up anytime before Dec. 24
Legal Sea Foods will be open from noon-9 p.m. at 704 Seventh St. NW, Tysons Galleria and 2301 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, and from noon-8 p.m. in National Hall at Reagan National Airport. They will serve their a la carte menu as well as a special holiday entrée.
The Top of the Hay at the Hay-Adams Hotel, 800 16th St. NW, will offer a holiday buffet with three seatings available at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. for $110 per adult and $55 for children 12 and younger. Items include seared duck Magret with wild mushrooms, five spices crème sauce, crème spinach and morel mushrooms; iceberg lettuce Waldorf salad with granny smith apples, walnuts and a creamy maple dressing; smoked Atlantic salmon with baby romaine, boiled eggs, pickled red onion and cilantro crème fraîche; winter orecchiette with roasted winter vegetables; jumbo lump crab cakes with vegetable succotash, corn and pepper sauce; braised beef ravioli with Brussels sprout leaves and porcini sauce; and Colorado lamb chops with roasted winter vegetables and rosemary jus. The dessert buffet includes chocolate and chestnut cake; bûche de noël; coconut cream snowflakes; smoked pecan brittle; cranberry panna cotta; and crème filled profiteroles.
Pinea in the W Hotel, 515 15th St. NW, is serving its regular dinner menu along with three specials from 2-8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The appetizer special is Beausoleil oysters with Meyer lemon zabaglione and caviar for $19. The entrée special is roasted breast and confit leg of duck with turnips, Swiss chard, glazed chestnuts. foie gras and black currant jus for $38. For dessert, it will offer Pannetone with blood orange and amaretto gelato for $10.
Rosa Mexicano, 575 Seventh St. NW and 153 Waterfront St. in National Harbor will offer a two-course prix fixe menu for $35 per person with a holiday cocktail from noon-9 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The dishes are also available a la carte. Start with hot tequila cider, a blood prange margarita or a virgin hot canela-spiced cider alongside Christmas specials including lamb shank slow-cooked, coated with three chiles, garlic and spices; grilled wild jumbo shrimp and scallops marinated in a garlic vinaigrette with tomatoes, onions and serrano chiles; and calabaza crème brûlée, pumpkin custard infused with holiday spices and topped with caramelized sugar; served with pumpkin spice cookies.
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.