Christmas dinners, classes, events and more at area restaurants and hotels

Bari Ristorante: Let Bari be a part of your families Holiday traditions – where great food and company come together. Enjoy our regular á la carte menu alongside a festive special menu thoughtfully curated by Chef Renato De Pirro. Please see link here for Christmas Specials Menu. Book your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Reservations on OpenTableChristmas Eve Hours: 11am to 7:30pm and Christmas Day Hours: 12pm to 10pm.

Hotel Lucine in Galveston: Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes: Celebrate Christmas Eve with a five-course pre-fixe dinner from The Fancy’s Executive Chef Matt Sweeney. Inspired by Italian tradition, the menu features coastal flavors and locally sourced ingredients. Reservations are required and can be made on OpenTable HERE. Dinner is $120 per person with reservations available from 5 – 9:45 p.m. Kids menu available for kids under 12. Photo credit: Dima Velyush.

Hotel ZaZa: Hotel ZaZa Memorial City is offering to take care of the holidays this year and blesses you with its delicious Christmas Holiday Menu. Only available Wednesday, December 25 from 6:30AM – 12AM. Check out the Christmas Holiday Menu and Book a table here.

Kenny & Ziggy’s: “It’s the Great Holiday Sandwich, Charlie Brown” is a special seasonal sandwich that grabs up a whole bunch of American holiday food traditions and stuffs them between slices of fresh-baked bread. “It’s the Great Holiday Sandwich offers a tower on the plate with fresh roasted turkey, sage and chestnut stuffing and a generous layer of cranberry sauce. It’s a Christmas dinner stacked up. The whole meal manages to come between two pieces of grilled challah bread, which gives nod to traditional Jewish delis and Chanukah celebrations. It sells for $26.95 and will be on the menu through the end of the December (the restaurant will be closed Dec. 25 for Chanukah).

Le Jardinier: Indulge in a refined dining experience at Le Jardinier, the Michelin-starred French fine-dining restaurant by The Bastion Collection. Executive chef Felipe Botero invites guests to enjoy a five-course menu priced at $185 per person, showcasing festive and elegant dishes. The evening begins with indulgent starters like Foie Gras Crème Brûlée Tartlet and Royal Kaluga Caviar before progressing to exquisite dishes such as Citrus-Cured Hiramasa with heirloom radishes, a decadent AOP Gruyère Cheese Soufflé with shaved black truffle and Saffron Carolina Gold Rice Risotto with Maine lobster. Complete your holiday celebration with the perfectly braised Red Wine Chuck Beef complemented with buttery mashed potatoes and a Cranberry Nougat Log for dessert.   Reservations are available via Resy and OpenTable from 4–9 p.m. Photo: Brian Kennedy.

Steak 48: There’s no better place to spend Christmas Eve than at Steak 48, Houston’s premier steakhouse in the luxurious River Oaks District. The lauded restaurant will open early at noon for lunch service and will close at 9:45 p.m. (usual hours are 4-10 p.m.). Wow the family with decadent dishes like NY Strip, 45-Day Dry Aged Bone-In Rib Eye, Chilean Sea Bass, Shells + Cheese, Corn Creme Brulee, and moreThose with a sweet tooth will delight in desserts like Cookies & Cream Popcorn Sundae, Triple Layer Key Lime Pie, and S’Mores in a Jar. Pair the celebratory holiday meal with wine from Steak 48’s extensive wine menu for the ultimate Christmas experience. Photo: Prime Steak Concepts.

Tamales class or Tamalada Party at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen: Sylvia Casares herself will be offering a Saturday-afternoon class on the Ancient Art of Making Tamales. These final hands-on classes will convene at the Eldridge restaurant on Dec. 21 where participants will learn everything they need to know on making pork and chicken tamales. The class, which run from 1-4 p.m., is $75 per person. It includes all the materials and the fun of eating them afterwards. This year, gather family and friends on Thursday, Dec. 19 for a Tamalada Party and enjoy this tradition at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen on Eldridge. From 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, Sylvia will host a public tamalada and provide all that’s needed for people to have their own tamalada party. Casares will be the head tamalera – teacher – to get things started making chicken and/or pork tamales. All tamales will be packaged to take home to cook and enjoy at their holiday celebrations. Photo: Paula Murphy.

Tavola: Celebrate Christmas Eve Italian-style at Tavola, the chic Italian eatery by The Bastion Collection. This year, Tavola’s chef de cuisine, Michael Lara, presents a $95 per person prix-fixe menu inspired by the traditional Italian “Feast of the Seven Fishes,” alongside a meat-focused option for those who prefer land over sea. Seafood-focused dishes include Seafood Spaghetti and Branzino with a crispy potato crust, as well as heartier dishes like the Lasagna Bolognese or the Filetto Wellington with porcini mushrooms. Before dessert, guests can enjoy a refreshing Limoncello Sorbet as a palate cleanser. For the finale, indulge in festive desserts like Traditional Pandoro with mascarpone cream or Christmas Panna Cotta.  Guests can elevate their experience with an $85 Italian wine pairing, enjoy holiday cocktails like Spiced Negroni or Cranberry Prosecco Spritz, and take home a sweet treat as a thank-you for celebrating with Tavola. With live music and a ($35) kids’ menu, Tavola offers a vibrant and meaningful way to celebrate the holiday season. The restaurant will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are available via OpenTable or by phone with a $50 per person deposit. 

Zanti Cucina Italiana: In addition to their superb regular menu, Chef Hilario Zamora is featuring an exclusive 12 oz pork chop, marinated for 24 hours in a rich blend of Italian herbs and American whiskey. Stuffed with creamy fontina cheese and fresh baby spinach, this decadent dish is served atop a luscious bed of marsala wine sauce and tender mushrooms. At just $44, this holiday special is available until it’s sold out.  Zanti has also curated a special lineup of seasonal cocktails, allowing guests to sip on unique flavors like the smoky, espresso-kissed Noche de Oaxaca with mezcal, cinnamon-anise syrup and Licor 43, or the herbaceous Reindeer Games, blending gin, St. Germain and muddled sage. For something sweet, their Chocolate Night combines Rémy 1738 Cognac with rich crème de cacao. Photo courtesy of Zanti Cucina Italiana.

Featured photo: Prime Steak Concepts