Holiday Dining In NJ?

[Rosie]

Where have you been dining for the holidays? Did you have an office party? Are you cooking Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or are you dining out? Give us a report and let us know of places that you have enjoyed or warn us about places to stay away from.

[steakas]

My company threw us the annual Holiday party. It was at Branches in West Long Branch. The place doesn't have a cocktail room and simply couldn't handle the crowd of 250 +/-. My meal (stuffed flounder) tasted like it was defrosted. Stay away...

[Rosie]

My company threw us the annual Holiday party.  It was at Branches in West Long Branch.  The place doesn't have a cocktail room and simply couldn't handle the crowd of 250 +/-.  My meal (stuffed flounder) tasted like it was defrosted.  Stay away...

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Ouch! This place is suppose to be able to handle up to 1.000 people.

[richl2214]

Cooking for Christmas eve and Christmas day. We do the "feast of the seven fishes" for the eve. Shrimp scampi, king crab legs, fried smelt, lobster fra diavlo, mussels in white wine/butter/garlic, fried calamari, cold scungilli salad. Plus some other stuff. :)

Christmas day is going to be a honey ham, a huge home made cold antipasto dish to start, sauteed broccoli rabe, baked potato wedges in olive oil, etc etc.

Now I am hungry. Anyone need a place to come for Christmas? I'm sure we'll be making enough to go around? :)

[suzilightning]

well, on christmas eve and christmas day we will be in poughkeepsie. i'm roasting a capon, mil is heating up canned sweet potatoes <sigh>. christmas eve will probably be a repeat of last year - ham, frozen cooked shrimp, stouffers macaroni and cheese and stouffers vegetarian lasagna. i asked her if she wanted me to do veggies and she said she didn't think we needed them...

our office party is being catered next tuesday by a local restaurant here in sparta, carafello's. will let you know how it is.

johnnybird's office party is tuesday - it's pot luck and he asked me to do sweet and sour meatballs so he will be sure of at least something he can eat.

[rooftop1000]

Hubby's job has a party this Friday at Hanover Manor in East Hanover...never heard of it.

We are thinking of doing the 7 fishes Christmas Eve by going out for sushi.

Mom is going to do baked ziti and pork loin for Christmas and...some microwaved frozen veggies I guess maybe that nice cheesecake from BJs She doesnt want me to have to bring anything.......please its fine let me do something

Tracey

[glenn]

It'll be our 5th year celebrating our anniversary (which is xmas eve) at Bernards Inn. There's nothing like getting loaded on great food and wine and stumbling up a flight of stairs to really celebrate.

[Rosie]

It'll be our 5th year celebrating our anniversary (which is xmas eve) at Bernards Inn.  There's nothing like getting loaded on great food and wine and stumbling up a flight of stairs to really celebrate.

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Happy Anniversary. Be sure to give us a report about your dinner.

[pjm9277]

I have been to both my wife's and my own holiday parties at the Grand Summit Hotel and Seabra's Armory respectively. I've had a decent meal at the Armory before, but the meal at the party left alot to be desired, the food at the Summit Hotel was good for a buffet.

I will be eating my mother-in-laws lasagna for an early Christmas dinner next week in Florida, then returning on Christmas eve to get started on the my families traditional Christmas dinner of Beef Wellington. I can't wait for all of the good food over the next week and a half, we will be dining out a few nights while in Florida also.

We are saving the best for last though, I'm taking my wife to Restaurant Nicholas (our first time there) on January 8 to celebrate her 30th birthday, so needless to say I have much to look forward to over the next few weeks.

[suzilightning]

I have been to both my wife's and my own holiday parties at the Grand Summit Hotel and Seabra's Armory respectively. I've had a decent meal at the Armory before, but the meal at the party left alot to be desired, the food at the Summit Hotel was good for a buffet.

hmmmmm was the wife's party this weekend? a co-worker's husband's party was there and she really enjoyed it.

cool on the nicholas for the wife's 30th!! enjoy and celebrate her in all her glory

[birder53]

Christmas Eve will be the traditional fish dinner at sister-in-law's in Brooklyn. Christmas Day will be at our house. We're having a chipotle chicken stew from Fine Cooking that is a great meal to make ahead for a crowd. Mashed potatoes and something green will round out the main course. Relatives are in charge of appetizers and desserts, so I will be surprised. Cocktails will include a Kir Royale, Bourbon Crusta and a Chocolate Martini for those who need their sweets! Wines will be whatver my brother-in-law decides to pull from our stash. It will all be wonderful.

[pjm9277]

hmmmmm was  the wife's party this weekend?  a co-worker's husband's party was there and she really enjoyed it.

cool on the nicholas for the wife's 30th!! enjoy and celebrate her in all her glory

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Actually my wife's holiday party was on Wednesday December 8th.

The trip to Nicholas is just as much a treat to myself as it is a celebration of my wife's birthday

[Rosie]

How's the cooking going or have you made reservations for Christmas. I'm making a turkey and ........

[corinne]

I just called the Bernard's Inn, but they stop serving at eight. We want to go from dinner to midnight Mass in Basking Ridge. Now I am thinking about Tre Vigne. Any other suggestions?

Corinne

[Rosie]

Call The Jefferson in Hoboken and see if they are open that late. I know that they are offering a seven fish menu on December 24: oysters on the half shell; sea scallops crudo; tuna bresaola; roasted mussels; monkfish saltimbocca; clams acqua pazzo; and pan seared New England cod. $45; $65 with wine. For information and reservations call 201-386-9955.

[Cook456]

Christmas Eve was at my house. Just couldn't do seven fishes with the three of us.

We started the evening with Honeydew Bellinis made with Mionetto Prosecco...munched on marinated mussel bruschettas.

Next up was Salad of broiled scallops on mixed greens, with toasted almonds, and

radishes with a lime/ walnut oil vinagrette. 2002 Greco du Tufo Pinot Grigio.

Spaghetti Alio e olio with Anchovies and frissled capers. 2000 Villa Puccini Red.

Crabcakes with Tomatillo Salsa . Frei Brothers Reserve 2002 Chardonnay.

Dessert was a recipe from MaryAnn Esposito's book. Semifreddo with Crocannte di San Giuliano

..served with a Tomasello Winery Vidal Blanc.

Christmas was at chef 123's home.

Pomegranete Martinis with harvest foccaccia

Shrimp Bisque

A scrumptuous Prime Rib with Fingerling Potatoe Gratin, and Minted Fresh Peas. He opened a special bottle of wine that was in his wine Cellar. Can't remember the name but it was from Paso Robles.

Dessert was Cornmeal Scones topped with Lime Cream and Berries, and a Sauternes.

No need to ever dine out.. ;-)

Hope everyone dined as well.. A joyeous Holiday to all!!

[jtphjl]

I host Christmas Eve (lunch) Christmas Eve dinner and an open House Christmas Day -- inbetween those events I host a holiday dinner for a group of senior citizens living in shared housing in Ridgewood and I have an obligation to homebound families living with HIV/AIDS. This year, health problems made this schedule a challenge which sent me looking for "short cuts" -- for the Christmas Eve lunch I decided to do a buffet and ordered from Kat Kat ( 201 Main Street Little Ferry)

This is only important to the story because I talked my Husband into doing the Fat Katz pick up on Wednesday Evening after dinner (they were closed on Christmas Eve Day) and it only made sense that we should make a dinner reservation since we would be there anyway -- smartest thing I did all season.

Oh the weather outside was frightful -- inside was an amuse : Salmon over a potato latke -- we skipped appetizers and went right to the generous entree

trout with lump meat crab for me, lemon, garlic, and Tilapia, tomato, capers, olives, and crabmeat for the Grinch's husband. (Both entrees $23 each)

Dessert : warm chococlate fuge cake with candy cane icecream..................

the take home platters by the way - crispy spring rolls (vegetable) w/ peanut dressing and a spicy chinese mustard / fresh mozzarella over baby greens, roasted vegetables, tomato with an extra olive oil and balsamic syrup / chicken and brie wraps, applewood smoked turkey wraps, maple cured ham w/ wisconsin cheddar - dips/dressings/sauces to the side.

every bit of this order was individually packed and the integrity of freshness was well prepared - Christmas Eve day, I plated, served and survived a very long day of family...