While many of us cozy up at home for a traditional Christmas dinner, a few Orange County restaurants are offering a more extravagant yuletide experience. From caviar-laden feasts to Michelin-starred afternoon teas, these five spots are perfect for those seeking a truly top-shelf holiday
Each restaurant will require reservations. Spaces are limited, so call sooner rather than later to let the holiday cheer commence. All dinners take place on Christmas Eve.
Darkroom (Santa Ana)
One of this year’s most ambitious openings, Darkroom, Zach Scherer and Drew Adams’ Santa Ana restaurant that focuses on seasonality using techniques from around the globe, will host Haus of Prime Rib on Christmas Eve, a prix-fixe feast starting with a snow crab cocktail, little gem Caesar salad and caviar-topped deviled eggs, followed by a main course of either koji-aged prime rib with jus and horseradish cream or herb-crusted salmon with lemon beurre blanc. Sides include shishito creamed spinach and smoked mashed potatoes, with your choice of 70% chocolate cream pie, salted creme fraiche whip or a lemon tart with a lavender meringue for dessert.
Darkroom will have seatings every 15 minutes from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $115 per guest.
Find it: 3751 S. Harbor Blvd., suite c, Santa Ana
Knife Pleat (Costa Mesa)
One of Orange County’s three Michelin-starred restaurants, Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi’s contemporary French eatery in South Coast Plaza will host holiday tea service on Saturdays this month (Dec. 21 and 28) and on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24. A perfect way for the uninitiated to get in on the afternoon tea trend, Knife Pleat’s holiday-themed tea service will feature fresh scones, composed tea sandwiches (like Persian cucumber, radish and watercress, Maine lobster eclairs, heritage chicken barquette and sunchoke, to name a few), house-made desserts pastries (spiced cakes, Diamant chocolate sable, macarons, financiers and Mont Blanc cream puffs), a selection of eight teas from which to choose and house-made hot chocolate.
Caviar and champagne will also be on hand to help hungry revelers get into the top-drawer holiday spirit.
Cost: $135 per guest.
The lauded eatery will also offer a holiday dinner tasting menu, happening from Dec. 17 until Dec. 21, featuring such hind-end fare as Ostera caviar with Main lobster panna cotta, black truffle risotto, Alaskan halibut, black truffle brie and more.
Cost: $320 per person, with optional wine pairing for $195 or nonalcoholic pairing for $108.
Find it: 3333 S. Bristol St. (at South Coast Plaza’s penthouse level), Costa Mesa; 657-777-3275
The holiday tea service at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa. (Photo courtesy of Knife Pleat)Marché Moderne (Corona Del Mar)
Chefs Florent and Amelia Marneau, the husband-wife duo who own and helm the kitchen at this contemporary French eatery, will host a four-course Christmas Eve dinner. Menu highlights will include a fresh king and Dungeness crab amuse bouche, bone marrow and grilled octopus, endive and Pink Rhône lettuce salad, oysters, duck l’orange (leg confit with smoked breast), lamb rack, a black truffle millefeuille of filet, a tiramisu cloud, mango tarte, cheeses and more.
Marché Moderne will have seatings available on Christmas Eve at 4, 6 and 8 p.m.
Cost: $198 per person, with an additional $75 for three wine pairings.
Find it: 7862 Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach; 714-434-7900
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This Western-themed steakhouse replete with cowboy frippery will offer a four-course prix-fixe meal with traditional Christmastime fare. Hearty yet elegant selections include rabbit ragu and dumplings, wagyu carpaccio, sea scallops, lobster biaque, lamb chops, bison New York strip, eggnog cheesecake, buche de noel and more (Psst, you can add a lobster tail to your meal for $75.)
A kids menu will offer the wee ones a choice of fresh fruit, filet of beef, cavatappi with marinana, hand-battered chicken tenders with fries and an ice cream sundae.
Cost: $180 per person; $45 for kids menu
Find it: 1025 E. Ball Road, suite 101A, Anaheim; 714-817-4200
Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach)
No need to stick to tradition come Christmas. A great way to break free from ye olde holiday culinary trimmings would be an omakase (Japanese for “I leave it up to you”) dinner, wherein the chef, Jordan Nakasone, selects the meal based on seasonal and gastronomic artistic expression rather than guests choosing from a menu. Highlights could include Neptunian treasure like Nagasaki otoro, kinmedai (goldeye), shima-aji (striped jack) or whatever prized fish Nakasone deems favorable that day.
Rebel Omakase, noted for scoring Laguna Beach its first-ever Michelin star, will have seatings available at 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Each dinner lasts two hours.
Cost: $300
Find it: 361 Forest Ave Ste 103, Laguna Beach; 949-664-3186
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