Make your holidays a little bit merrier with some help in the kitchen from local chefs or by going out for that special meal. Deliciously prepared local and organic foods are available from Wild Thyme Deli in Marina, which offers full Prime Rib dinners with all the trimmings, or from Stone Creek Kitchen in Monterey where they are cooking up beef tenderloin, prime rib and roast turkey along with a selection of delectable sides.
In the Santa Cruz area, try New Leaf Markets, which has brown and serve Diestel turkey dinners as well as a vegan holiday feast featuring millet yam patties and lots of healthy sides. Carried Away in Aptos is cooking through Christmas Eve when you can pick up a pan of Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Lasagna or Fennel Sausage and Beef Lasagne to serve a crowd. And if you are looking for something very special to grace your table, try El Salchichero’s house smoked hams, brined with clove and nutmeg, their Jameson Irish Whiskey marinated New York strip roasts or quail stuffed with yuzu pork sausage and wrapped in bacon.
Meanwhile, traditional holiday sweets like bûche de noël, stollen or Three Kings Cakes with a prize inside can be found at Parker-Lusseau Pastries in Monterey, Sweet Elena’s in Sand City and Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola.
Eating Out on Christmas
While many restaurants close for Christmas, others embrace it and there are certainly plenty of sumptuous options. In Carmel, Aubergine executive chef Justin Cogley offers a gourmet selection of ribeye, lobster or Dover sole. There are two seatings on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Lodge at Pebble Beach is another local tradition. What could be more elegant than Christmas Brunch at Stillwater Bar & Grill overlooking the 18th hole and the cove? Chef Matt Bolton at the panoramic Pacific’s Edge restaurant at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands is also working to make your Christmas dinner a merry one with Dungeness crab, lobster and a bone-in rib chop on the menu. While out in Carmel Valley, chef Cal Stamenov at Bernardus Lodge and chef Tim Wood at Carmel Valley Ranch are both preparing special holiday menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Or book a table at the popular Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse in Marina.
In the Santa Cruz area, Sanderlings at Seascape Resort offers its traditional Christmas Day buffet with loads of seafood, prime rib and local vegetables from 2-7pm. Chaminade hotel has its own seafood laden buffet from noon to 6pm, while Solaire restaurant in the new Hotel Paradox has a four-course Christmas tasting menu that includes local chanterelle soup and diver scallops.
Indulge on New Year’s Eve
For New Year’s Eve this year, why not try something new. Recently opened Bantam restaurant on the westside of Santa Cruz is cooking up a four-course feast with bubbly. At Gabriella Café in downtown Santa Cruz, the emphasis will be on seafood with lobster, fresh Dungeness crab and oysters, along with live music and regular menu items. Nearby, Soif is also preparing a New Year’s Eve extravaganza with choices like lobster soup, fried pork belly with green papaya and Peking duck breast. While sister restaurant La Posta has a rustic Italian themed menu featuring black bass and cannelloni stuffed with cardoon, escarole and ricotta with cream and pine nuts.
Tuscan-themed dining can also be enjoyed on New Year’s Eve at TusCA Ristorante in the Hyatt Regency Monterey, where the four-course meal includes delicacies like wild boar belly, quail and duck breast. At the nearby Sardine Factory, you can feast on a four-course meal and afterwards enjoy live music, party favors and a balloon drop.
All of the hotel restaurants mentioned above that offer Christmas dinner are also cooking up special treats to help you ring in the New Year’s in style. For a unique splurge, head for the Once Upon a Time celebration at the Inn at Spanish Bay. It includes live music, lavish buffets and fairy tale themes throughout the hotel, including the Emerald City Casino, the Mad Hatter’s Tea and Dessert Party and a castle complete with drawbridge and smoking dragon.
Whether you cook at home or dine out, Edible Monterey Bay magazine wishes you delicious holidays filled with peace and love.
About the author
Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay. A lifelong journalist, she has reported from around the globe, but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
