Restaurants around the Garden State are offering special holiday menus to help make the night a memorable one.
Christmas Eve is fast approaching. Many will have family and friends in town to enjoy a home cooked holiday meal whether it be the Feast of the Seven Fishes or another holiday tradition. The great thing about New Jersey is restaurants around the state are open and ready to provide a memorable dining experience. For those who prefer to let others do all the work, here are 10 restaurants, in no particular order, offering delicious alternatives.
SPUNTINO WINE BAR & ITALIAN TAPAS
Yes, the Italian-American traditional meal of The Feast of the Seven Fishes is typically served on Christmas Eve, but the special menu, including blue point oyster, rosemary mussels, cod fritters and grilled salmon, is available through Dec. 24. The tasting menu is $45 per person or $65 with wine pairing items are also available a la carte). Clifton Commons, 70 Kingsland Road, Clifton. 973-661-2435.
This seafood restaurant with a scenic view overlooking the Sen. Frank S. Farley Marina sets the perfect ambiance to enjoy the Feast of the Seven Fishes, with a selection of courses that include baccala salad, fried calamari, baked stuffed shrimp, sole Venetian style and snapper livornese. $55 per person. Golden Nugget, Brigantine Blvd. and Huron Ave., Atlantic City. 609-340-5030.
The goose, not the fishes, will be the talk of the table, with a five-course Christmas Eve Goose Dinner that includes Japanese hamachi sashimi, turbot (with goose jus), cavatelli (with confit goose), roasted goose (with stuffing, mushroom and turnip), and topped off with Buche Noel (chocolate, cider ice cream, hazelnut). $125 per person. Wine pairing is $65 per guest or $125 for reserve wine pairing. 66 Witherspoon St., Princeton. 609-924-0078.
Scott Anderson's Elements was recently named one of the top 20 American restaurants in a survey conducted by the website Opinionated About Dining. The culinary team is embracing the Italian Christmas Eve tradition with the creation of a special four-course menu focused on seafood - almond crusted pan seared halibut, adriatic-style seafood soup and seared scallops offer a small sampling of the entrees that will be available. $75 per person, or $110 with suggested wine pairing. 78 Albany St., New Brunswick. 732-296-1600.
Technically, Christmas Eve is being celebrated all month long at The Bonney Read, but this Feast of the Seven Fishes menu is made for sharing with family and friends, as the selection of dishes include diver scallops crudo ($12); insalata di frutti di mare ($12); spicy clam stew ($14); frittelle di baccala ($13); shrimp scampi ($21); pesce spada ($24); and whole pan roasted branzino ($33). 525 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park. 732-455-3352.
This highly acclaimed restaurant has three different rooms, each offering a unique and memorable dining experience. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is being offered in the main dining room ($120, $195 with wine pairing); a larger party format is being set up in The The Rathskeller ($75, $120 with beverage pairing); and The Oyster Bar is where guests will find an a la carte menu (prices vary based on selections). 110 South St., Morristown. 973-644-3180.
The Dining Room at the Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen . 5/27/15 Photo by John O'Boyle | for NJ Advance Media The early Christmas Eve forecast is looking like it's going to be a delightful day for golfers. Here are three dinning options available at the Grand Cascades Lodge that will add a delicious finish to the holiday: Restaurant Latour is serving a five-course menu highlighting the flavors of the season ($125, $190 with wine pairing); Crystal Tavern is taking a New American approach with its three-course menu ($65, $94 with wine pairing); and Springs Bistro is offering up a four-course menu inspired by the Feast of the Seven Fishes ($69, $98 with wine pairing). 3 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg. 844-207-3203.
Christmas Eve dinner includes family-style antipasto, pasta and dessert courses being served family style while the main course options include baked codfish oreganata, herb-seared tuna loin, pan-seared red snapper, grilled faroe island salmon and grilled filet mignon. Prices vary based on selection. 50 Stirling Road, Warren. 908-754-1222.
Piece of advice: come hungry as the restaurant has put together a special a la carte holiday menu that features an extensive list of appetizers, soups, salads, selections from the land and sea, pasta and a raw bar. 9 Cherry Lane, West Orange. 862-252-7108.
Owner/executive chef Nicolas Harary is once again ready to wow his customers with special-for-the-holiday options: three-course menu ($80); four-course garden menu ($80); or a six-course tasting menu ($100, $160 with wine pairing). The culinary team even has the children covered with a special $32 deal that includes ice cream. 160 Route 35 South, Red Bank. 732-345-9977.
Contact Bill Gelman at bkgelman@hotmail.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
