Restaurant Review: Family-Friendly Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinners in Chicago
Just a week from now, families will gather in celebration for all-out Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts with their nearest and dearest. And Chicago’s restaurants are still taking reservations and even offering last-minute gifts!
If you’re like me, such accommodations are a blessing!
Take, for example, the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes at River North’s Osteria Via Stato, 620 N. State Street. It’s one of several Lettuce Entertain You spots serving Italy’s traditional four-coursed, seafood-centric dining experience by Chef David DiGregorio. For $89.95 per adult, and $52.95 per child, feast on such favorites as Osteria’s Baccala Spread (salted codfish,) Seafood Linguine, Rhode Island Calamari, Grilled Octopus with Fingerling Potatoes, Seafood Stew, Glory Bay King Salmon, and Pan-Roasted Faroe Islands Salmon with Artichokes, spinach, lemon, and brown butter. For reservations, click here.
Lincoln Square’s Artango Bar & Steakhouse 4767 N. Lincoln Avenue, celebrates the magic of Christmas with an Argentinian-inspired three-course holiday feast, available December 25th from 3 pm – 9 pm. For $95 per adult, Indulge in an evening of seasonal flavors featuring an appetizer, a chef-selected main course, and a festive dessert. A kid’s menu is available upon request. Note: Beverage, tax, and gratuity are not included.
Start with Chef’s Choice Empanadas, Ceviche Nikkei, which features tuna, leche de tigre, avocado, and huacatay sauce. A Focaccia Pizza comes with rosemary potato. Ensalada De Remolacha – Beet Salad has goat cheese cream, hazelnuts, and fig vinaigrette. Entrees include Bife De Chorizo with a New York strip steak. Cordero Patagónico are grilled Australian Lamb Chops, with creamy polenta, brussel sprouts, and Malbec sauce. Faroe Island Salmon is served with a prawn, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and lobster sauce. Wild Mushroom Pasta is pappardelle pasta, porcini, shitake, oyster mushrooms in a creamy sauce. Duck à l’Orange has duck confit, sweet potato, and orange sauce. And save room for dessert, which concludes the meal with a Chocolate Lava Cake, with chocolate mousse and raspberry coulis. San Telmo – Vanilla Flan, infused with cardamom and cinnamon, dulce de leche gelato, and an almond crispy meringue. For reservations, click here.
Gifts and Feasts
River North’s Eataly Chicago, 43 E. Ohio Street, the Italian eatery and market offers a one-stop shop for gifts and a sumptuous Italian holiday feast. Their restaurants, counters, and market are all open on Christmas Day, for dine-in, takeout and delivery! Best of all, selections are imported from various regions of Italy, ensuring their authenticity.
At Vino &, start with Antipasti like Zucca e Ricotta with roasted kabocha squash, butternut squash chips, honey whipped ricotta, hazelnuts, and pumpkin seeds. Or, Burrata e Pappa al Pomodoro, a housemade burrata, Tuscan tomato-bread soup, Taggiasca olive crumble, and basil. Supplì Pomodoro e Mozzarella is made with crispy Riso Scotti rice, housemade mozzarella, Mutti Tomato, and Granarolo Pecorino Romano.
Housemade pastas include Tagliolino al Tartufo Bianco made with tagliolini, Urbani fresh white truffles, butter, and Agriform Grana Padano (Italian hard cheese.) Tagliatelle al Tartufo Nero is their housemade tagliatelle, Urbani black truffles, butter, and Grana Padano. Spaghetti al Pomodoro has Afeltra spaghetto, Così Com’è datterino tomatoes, Roi extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and basil. Gnocchi alla Sorrentina is a housemade potato gnocchi, tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and Grana Padano.
Start a new tradition with a Christmas pizza! Try their Burrata Piccante with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh creamy burrata, spicy chili flakes, oregano, basil, and olive oil. Funghi Prosciutto is made with Mozzarella di Napoli, sautéed mushrooms, Ferrarini 18-month prosciutto di Parma, basil, and olive oil. Tartufata has black truffle cream, Mozzarella di Napoli, micro basil, Portobello mushrooms, truffle caciotta cheese, ricotta, Fresh black truffle, and olive oil. For reservations, click here.
Wicker Park/Bucktown’s Café Robey, 1616 N. Milwaukee Avenue, is serving all-day brunch on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a side of seasonal comfort food. While dining with an open-kitchen view of Wicker Park and Bucktown’s iconic six-corner intersection, you can enjoy their unique farm-to-table offerings such as Robey Eggs Benedict, with a 5-minute egg, garlic spinach, glazed mushrooms, hollandaise and chives on an English muffin. Their Omelette is made with chicken sausage, melted leeks, glazed mushrooms, and gruyere, and served with an herb salad. Huevos Rancheros is pairs black beans and corn tortillas with salsa verde, two fried eggs, crema, queso fresco, cilantro and onions. House specialty Duck Hash is made with potatoes, poblano peppers, duck confit, charred onions, and sunny side up eggs. Tangy Salmon Toast has citrus-cured salmon, onion cream cheese, pickled onions & peppers, toasted sourdough, everything spice, and dill. Mafaldine Pasta has sun dried tomato pesto, spinach, burrata, basil, and sourdough bread crumbs. Turkish Eggs are made with 5 minute eggs, nduja sausage butter, herbed garlic yogurt, za’atar, on toasted bread. For reservations, click here.
For something completely different…
In Chicago’s Loop, gather the family for a festive Christmas brunch buffet at Miru at The St. Regis Chicago, 401 E. Wacker Drive, whose feast is inspired by Japan’s holiday tradition of fried chicken. For $150 per adult and $75 per child 5-9 years old, your family can savor Crispy Chicken & Waffles, a Seafood and Sushi Bar, Sizzling Fried Rice, and a tempting array of pastries and sweets, along with classic brunch favorites. For reservations, click here.
Here’s to a joyous holiday for all who celebrate!
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
