WHATEVER YOU’RE CELEBRATING, YOU’LL FEEL MERRY INDEED WHEN YOU DINE AT THESE RESTAURANTS.
By Carey Jones
Nutcrackers smile down from the mantel as you sip nutmeg-scented eggnog, snug and warm, with snow falling outside. Garlands drape the dining room, softly lit by glittering lights and subtly perfumed by pine. Just when the scene couldn’t seem any more idyllic, carolers stroll through for a brief serenade.
Sentimental though it may sound, there’s an undeniable magic to the holidays. Restaurants like D.C.’s 1789 know just how to capture that spirit; they go all-out with garlands, lights, and holiday scenes that take days, or even more, to create. Many also embellish their menus during the holiday season, even drawing inspiration from other nations: the Feast of the Seven Fishes, on Christmas Eve, adopted from Italian-American tradition; Nochevieja, the Spanish New Year’s Eve, with customs like eating grapes for good fortune.
Some parts of the U.S. have their own deep-seated holiday traditions. In New Orleans, Christmas Eve means the feast of réveillon. But one night isn’t enough for Restaurant R’evolution, which serves a special prix fixe menu—with dishes like rooster and andouille gumbo modeled after 18th-century Creole tastes—all December long. In New York, meanwhile, the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without latkes. At midtown’s Toloache, chef Julian Medina honors his wife’s Jewish roots with a Mexican take on Hanukkah classics, including zucchini latkes with a tomatillo-apple salsa.
Read on for restaurants that capture the flavor of the holidays, whether through lavish tea spreads, Dickens-inspired dinners, or more contemporary festivities like a New Year’s party in Austin, TX, fueled by street food as well as champagne.
Gramercy Tavern, New York City
Famed restaurateur Danny Meyer’s elegant Flatiron restaurant transforms in the days following Thanksgiving, with intricate baubles strung from the ceiling, lush poinsettias throughout the restaurant, and lights and ornaments hung wherever possible. While Gramercy’s warm, gently lit interior and convivial service help the restaurant feel cozy no matter the season, the holiday décor only amplifies the spirit of cheer, which attracts lines down the block all through December. Favorite winter dishes include Maine lobster with winter squash, shiso, and trout roe; and slow-roasted pork shoulder with bacon broth and corn bread.
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HOLIDAY DECOR
