Where to Eat on Christmas and New Year's
From the best places to earn that mistletoe kiss to non-denominational dining to safe havens for big families and parents, we’ve got you covered. Plus: a few treats for making the holidays even sweeter at home. As always, be sure to call ahead or visit the website for reservations and details.
Acadia
The late night Creole Réveillion dinner at Acadia is meant to provide sustenance to hungry Christmas Eve Midnight Mass-goers, but feel free to skip church and go straight to the sinful gluttony of crawfish deviled eggs and Tur-Duck-Hen with Creole cornbread dressing and honey-sage gravy. 1303 NE Fremont St, 503-249-5001, acadiapdx.com
Chef Jenn Louis takes the holidays seriously at Lincoln. For New Year’s Eve, expect a three-course menu with beef tenderloin tartare and a winter seafood stew of octopus, scallops, and Dungeness crab. Lincoln is also open for Christmas Eve, serving its full dinner menu along with a few festive surprises. 3808 N Williams Ave, 503-288-6200 lincolnpdx.com
Image: Mi Mero Mole
The guisado guys at Mi Mero Mole celebrate Christmas with a special dinner centered around chile en nogada, a traditional Mexican dish of pork-stuffed poblanos, candied fruit, walnut cream sauce, and pomegranate seeds that happens to come in shades of red, green, and white. Chiles en nogada is available for takeout, along with smoked turkey tamales, mole enchiladas, and Oaxacan-spiced rice crispy treats. Multiple locations, mmmtacospdx.com
The catering company and dinner hall is doubling down for the holidays as well. For Christmas: oysters Rockefeller, a scallop and pork cheek surf-and-turf and persimmon crumble with pomegranate ice cream. For New Year’s Eve, the catering pros are serving up scallop carpaccio, slow-roasted beef rib eye, and dark chocolate-Kahlua truffles with almond toffee. 828 SE Ash St, 503-235-1600, simpaticapdx.com
Heathman Restaurant
Do it up big and traditional at the Heathman, where they hold an annual grand buffet for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You can also opt for a prix fixe menu with all the holiday classics: Christmas goose, grilled prime rib, Maine lobster, and Bûche de Noël. 1001 SW Broadway, 503-790-7752 heathmanrestaurantandbar.com
If there’s a better way to usher in the New Year than with a free chocolate buffet, we can’t think of one. Purchase a flute of bubbly to clink with your fellow chocholics and sing “Auld Lang Syne” with a mouthful of chocolate mousse, cake, meringue, ice cream, truffles, or all of the above. 2225 E Burnside St, 971-271-7166, pixpatisserie.com
Celebrate New Year’s Eve Aviary-style. That means a four-course dinner of pan-Asian influence, with chestnut soup and salted duck egg, pineapple curry glazed cod, and chocolate earl gray cremeux with walnut nougatine. 1733 NE Alberta St, 503-287-2400, aviarypdx.com
The close of 2015 also sees the close of Alpine landmark, Grüner. The last seating is on New Year’s Eve with a blowout menu that includes a “deconstructed” Grüner burger, chestnut and leek tart and buckwheat spätzle with duck confit. As the ball drops, toast your Hofbräu to Grüner and drink deep and long. 527 SW 12th Ave, 503-241-7163 grunerpdx.com
Feastworks
However you choose to avoid cooking this Christmas, Feastworks can accommodate: choose from smoked ham, roasted porchetta, fennel-rubbed pork, and roast turkey dinners, or round out your meal with sides like garlic-smashed potatoes and mushroom bread pudding. 1325 SE Tacoma St, 503-284-1704 www.feastworks.com
Image: Coquine
We have it on good authority that St. Nick will leave you better presents if you leave him Coquine’s chocolate chip smoked almond salted caramel cookies. Order by the dozen or opt for a mini loaf of English-style spiced gingerbread. Orders must be placed at least 48-hours in advance. 6839 SE Belmont St, 503-384-2483 coquinepdx.com
