Tonight, Christmas Eve, Hollywood Burger Bistro in Canton is throwing its First Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. The party kicks off at 9 p.m. and lasts until midnight. No reservations needed.

Those of legal drinking age and are man or woman enough to be seen in their ugly holiday sweater are eligible for $3 Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka shots.

A $100 gift certificate goes to the wearer of what is judged to be the ugliest holiday sweater.

Hollywood Burger will be open on Christmas evening, too, for Holiday Songs Karaoke. I love that idea; if anyone else is doing karoake on December 25th I haven't heard about it. The fun begins at 9 p.m.

I might go. I can sing "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" to the tune of "Frosty the Snowman." It will blow your minds.

Christmas Coogi sweater, my personal collection, purchased on ebay from christmassweaters

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Christmas
        

Donna's Cross Keys location is offering a $35 fixed-price "Feast of the Seven Fishes" Christmas Even dinner ($45 with wine pairings) -- including a fritto misto appetizer and a seafood-soup entrée.Take a look at the special menu here. 

Donna Crivello had emailed me information about what the Donna's Cross Keys location was doing for Christmas Eve, and she sent it in plenty of time to make it into the print version roundup of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining options. But it didn't make it in there. Mya faulta.

Donna guessed that the 7 fishes information "must have gotten buried in the 'Donna's fire rubble'." of our email exchanges in the days after the Mount Vernon Fire.

That is what happened.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Christmas
        

Since I posted on dining options for Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, I've added in a few more venues. So take a look if you're interested.

I just found another Christmas Day option -- Sotto Sopra, which will be open from Noon to 9 p.m. 

Awesome.

Here are posts from last year on this subject. I'll try to make some calls.

But I did confirm that AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar and Dogwood are open on Christmas Eve. And that The Helmand is open on Christmas Day

Post 1

Post 2

Post 3

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Christmas
        

I'm working on it.

I'm gathering up:

1) a list of restaurants that are featuring special Christmas Eve menus and events. This photograph, from 2002, shows some of the dishes from Aldo's feast of the seven fishes. I went one year, and Donatella Versace was there. (I love Maya Rudolph.)

2) a list of restaurants that are open on Christmas Day

3) a round-up of restaurants that are taking a vacation in between Christmas and New Years Day -- I know that Iggies is closing on New Year's Eve and re-opening on January 2nd. And that Jack's Bistro is closing from January 1st through the 14th.

You can help by sending me reliable, first-hand information about all this stuff. Email me richard.gorelick@baltsun.com

Continue reading "The Great 2010 Holiday Openings and Closings Post" »

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Christmas
        

The only thing worse than a fruitcake is an evergreen essay about fruitcakes.

But a friend of my friends' showed up at a Thanksgiving open house with a fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, TX. Her mother sends her one every year. The cake, and the bakery, are institutions.

The thing about this cake -- it's good! Not just good for a fruitcake, good for any cake. Spicy, and moist -- and I'm thinking that it's the fresh papaya that makes it so tasty. 

And so begins the Dining@Large Countdown to Christmas with a request for your favorite food-related holiday gifts (and stuff to bring to parties) to give and receive.

Posted by Richard Gorelick at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Christmas