You’ve bought all the Christmas gifts on the list and now you want to give yourself a gift, too. How about suggesting a Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas day meal out so you don't have to cook? There are a number of local restaurants that are more than happy to do the cooking for you. Here are a few of my top recommendations.
Chef John Tesar is presenting his Feast of the 7 Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve again as one of the Spoon Pop-Up Dinners. Tickets can be purchased online from $175 to $225 here.
Tesar’s restaurant Knife, located in the Highland Hotel on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, is open for regular hours on Christmas Eve and will be open for Christmas with prime rib. Brunch is from 11:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m.
The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant is festively adorned from floor to ceiling for the holiday season. Encounter grand Christmas trees, delicate handmade ornaments, elegant wreaths, holiday lights and oversized velvet bows along with Christmas Eve or Christmas day dining. The Mansion restaurant will offer a special Christmas menu on Saturday, December 24 and Sunday, December 25, featuring traditional holiday favorites from Executive Chef Tom Parlo and a decadent dessert display created by Pastry Chef Nicolas Blouin. Starters include winter greens, braised oxtail and mussel risotto; entrées include smoked pheasant, black bass, filet mignon Rossin and lamb loin; desserts include Snickers yule log, chestnut mandarin tart, chocolate tiramisu, apple cinnamon crème brûlée, peppermint marshmallow lollipops and more. Celebrate with delightful sparkling wines, whites and reds or explore rare vintages from regions all over the globe, all hand-selected by resident sommelier Jennifer Eby. Reservations are available for $125 per person and for $55 for children 12 and younger. For available times call 214-443-4747.
At Fearing’s, located in the Ritz Carlton Hotel on McKinney Avenue, both Christmas Eve lunch and Dinner will be served. Fearing’s is offering an à la carte lunch from the regular menu from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or the seasonal three-course dinner from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Pricing for dinner is $100 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under excluding beverage, tax and gratuity. To make a reservation call 214-922-4848.
The Front Room Tavern at Hotel Lumen across from SMU has a terrific Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebration planned from Executive Chef Taylor Kearney. The Christmas Brunch Buffet, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Day, is $55 for adults and $20 for kids 12 and under. Selections from the Brunch Buffet include shrimp, crab claws, dipping sauces, deviled eggs, Tavern hot sauce, baby arugula salad, marcona almonds, dried cherries, lemon-thyme vinaigrette, butternut squash bisque, roasted chicken & dumplings, a chicken cracklings carving station, roasted leg of lamb with mint jelly, prime rib, carving ham with a cinnamon-orange glaze, an an omelet station. The Buffet will also feature made to order as-you-like hot selections from challah French toast to bananas foster waffles with caramelized banana and rum glaze, Tavern eggs benedict, pan seared trout, brisket scramble with house smoked brisket, roasted potato hash, scrambled eggs or the Randall’s biscuits & gravy with black pepper béchamel hot sides. Reservations can be made at 214-219-8282.
The Christmas menu from Texas Spice at Omni Dallas is a savory affair with a Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day brunch buffet. Each dish emphasizes signature local ingredients and Southern style cooking, perfect for each family member. The dinner menu in Dallas features a green bean salad, roasted cauliflower and green apple soup, roasted ribeye, rosemary and sage roasted free range chicken, smoked Texas gulf fish, sweet potato casserole, brussels’ and bacon. Guests and locals can complete their meals with pecan pie, cast iron apple crisp, buttermilk pie, minted brownies and lemon meringue tartlets. Dinner is available on December 24 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is $26 per person. The brunch menu at Omni Dallas includes Texas greens, roasted fall squash salad, roasted butternut squash and lemon cream soup, roasted turkey, Christmas ham, herb roasted Texas gulf catch, green bean casserole, omelets and a wide selection of sweets to top it off such as warm Texas spice cookies, cinnamon apple bread pudding, chocolate mousse shots and chocolate mousse shots. Brunch is available on December 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $26 per person.
Cast Iron at Omni Fort Worth Hotel will offer complimentary mimosas for brunch, accompanied with flavorful starters including grilled asparagus and artichoke, curried cauliflower, pearl couscous and roasted beets. Featured entrees range from traditional roast turkey, clove studded sliced ham, slow roasted prime rib of beef, pistachio crusted salmon to green bean casserole. Guests and locals can top off their meal with pumpkin cake pops, mini pecan pies, apple cinnamon tarts, Christmas cookies, cupcakes and wild berry bread pudding. Brunch is available on December 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is $60 for adults and $30 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 eat free. Special dinner starters at the Omni in Fort Worth include wild mushroom bisque and winter gem salad. Entrees include grilled cowboy steak, pan seared silk snapper and sage and garlic roasted turkey. And to satisfy the sweet tooth, guests can indulge in an apple-rhubarb cobbler or a maple pecan pie. Dinner is available on December 24 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on December 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The price is $45 for adults, $21 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 eat free. Reservations are needed for brunch and dinner — call 817-350-4106.
Grayson Social on Pacific Avenue in Dallas will be open on Christmas Eve for dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Christmas Day for brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The special menu for Christmas Eve or Christmas night dinner service will be $35 per person including four courses. There is the first course choice for one to two people of pulled chicken poutine, cornmeal dusted oysters and chicken fried quail. The second course choice one per person is petite romaine and sweet corn bisque while the third course choice is from country fried yard bird, seared redfish, pork rack or prime rib for an extra $10. For the final dessert course, you can choose from croissant or caramelized pear bread pudding with homemade vanilla ice cream.
At Cook Hall, located in the W Dallas – Victory Hotel, Executive Chef Vijay Sadhu will serve a three-course Christmas special, a pre-fixe holiday menu including soup, your choice of entrée and a dessert, on Sunday, December 25. Guests can celebrate the holiday for $35 per person.
For a more casual Christmas meal, try the Ivy Tavern on Lemmon Avenue. The Ivy Tavern is open on Christmas Day featuring its regular full menu.
Or, try the Truck Yard on Sears Street near Lower Greenville. It's open from 4 p.m. to midnight on Christmas Day and will be serving its famous Cheesesteaks for $9.99.