Looking for some holiday dining experiences or deals? 2020 is coming to a close (thank goodness), which means it’s time to celebrate. Here are 16 places across the Valley where you can pick up or safely dine in to enjoy holiday dining and splurge on gourmet specialties and seasonal desserts sure to spread cheer.
Blue Hound
Hotel Palomar’s signature restaurant, the Blue Hound, is hosting several events and specials throughout the months of December to celebrate the holidays. The first one is FROSTY’S Pop-Up Bar which will be serving holiday drinks and snacks including Peppermint Schnapps Pot de Creme and Sugar Cookies and cocktails like The Red Nose with spiced rum, mulled wine, lemon and cava through Dec. 25 with a DJ playing holiday music Thursdays-Sundays.
On Christmas Day, they’ll have a five-course prix-fixe menu with classic Christmas food; and on New Year’s Eve, they’ll have a four-course prix-fixe menu with a ticket to the hotel’s LUSTRE’s New Year’s Eve party.
Info: FROSTY’S available Dec. 1-25, Tuesday-Friday 4-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.. Cocktails are $16, and snacks are $4-$6. Christmas Day meal is available Christmas Eve and Day from 12 – 5 p.m. and is $75. New Year’s Eve meal is available on the day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations can be made at OpenTable.com.
CIELO at the ADERO Scottsdale
Enjoy a unique dining experience at The Village at ADERO by dining al fresco in your own holiday igloo bubble. Four dining globes with festive craft cocktails and small bites menu will be available from Dec. 16 to Jan. 10 on Monday-Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m. There is a 90-minute seating limit; reservations are required with a $200 food and beverage minimum.
In addition, CIELO’s Christmas Eve To-Go menu features a four-course takeaway option that includes: Endive, treviso, baby kale, honey crisp apples and pomegranate gravenstein vinaigrette; choice of roast turkey or peppercorn crusted roasted ribeye; and sides including mashed yukon gold potatoes, vegetables and rolls. CIELO’s Christmas dinner highlights include: winter celeriac and leek soup; porketta with sage and fennel, served with pan roasted squash, broccolini and blistered tomatoes; and New York cheesecake.
CIELO is also offering a special three-course menu for $89/person on Thursday, December 31. Menu highlights include: lobster bisque; carved roast tenderloin and lobster tail served with grilled asparagus and pave potatoes; and champagne souffle glace. Enjoy a special New Year’s Day champagne brunch menu including crab meat and asparagus omelette; huevos rancheros; spinach and goat cheese frittata; wild berry waffles and more. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
Info: Christmas Eve Dinner: $175 per meal; Christmas dinner: $79 per person. New Year’s Eve: $89 per person; reservations for each can be made on OpenTable.
elements at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa
Celebrate the holidays with elements, which is offering Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve dinners. On Christmas Day, guests can enjoy a festive four-course, prix-fixe dinner featuring entrees including Duck l’Orange; Porcini Dusted Veal Chop; and Peanut and Coriander Crusted Red Snapper, plus desserts such as Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake and Caramelized White Chocolate Creme Brulee.
On New Year’s, elements will also offer a four-course, prix fixe menu that will feature a first course of Yellowfin Tuna Crudo, Braised Lamb Raviolo and Seared Scallop and Cauliflower Panna Cotta; choice of Maine Lobster Bisque or salads; and entrees such as New York Strip, Miso Glazed Chilean Seabass and Vegetable Paella.
Info: Christmas Day dinner will be served from 12 to 1:45 p.m. and 2 to 8 p.m.; first seating is $105 per person and the second is $125 per person. It is $45 for children ages six to 12 and complimentary for ages five and under. New Year’s Eve dinner will be served from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is $225 per person and the second seating is from 8 to 10 p.m. and is $275 per person. It’s $45 for children ages six to 12 and complimentary for ages five and under.
Reservations for all holiday events are required and can be made by calling 480-948-2100. More information is available at sanctuaryaz.com.
Hearth ’61 at Mountain Shadows
Ring in 2021 at Hearth ‘61 at Mountain Shadows with a special four-course menu from Chef Charles Wiley. The socially-distanced dining experience will ensure a safe celebration. Guests will start their meal with an amuse-bouche of Foie Gras Terrine with chive followed by Pan-Seared Diver Scallop with romesco, Spicy Glazed Pork Belly with pickled artichoke, Surf & Turf with pomme puree and Flourless Valrhona Chocolate Torte with salted caramel gelato.
Info: Dec. 31 starting at 6:30 p.m. is $139 per person; the 9:30 p.m. seating is $169 per person and includes party favors and a midnight champagne toast. Reservations are required and can be made at 480-624-5458.
Honey Baked Ham Company
The Honey Baked Ham Company is always a good option for the holidays, especially for bringing food back home. They are well-known for their – go figure – ham, and they have other food to go along with it to fit a whole Holiday meal, such as honey-baked turkey, and other sides, as well as whole meals ready for order.
Hotel Valley Ho
Celebrate Christmas by dining at Hotel Valley Ho. Their Christmas dining menu includes a chef-attended starter buffet, followed by guests’ choice of Truffle Stuffed Petaluma Chicken or Slow Braised Pork Osso Buco and finish with dessert by choosing from English Toffee Cheesecake, Eggnog Bread Pudding or Salted Caramel Creme Brulee.
Christmas dinner is also available in to-go options that include family meals of Herb and Garlic Butter-Rubbed Prime Rib and Bone-In Spiral-Cut Ham and includes sides: potatoes, mac and cheese, vegetable varieties, salad and parker house buns, plus dessert options such as White Chocolate and Cranberry Bread Pudding and Peppermint Oreo Custard Pie.
Info: Holiday menu served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and capacity will be limited for socially distanced dining. Reservations are required, call 480-421-7997. To-go options: Price: ranges from $69 to $250 and serves from 4 to 8. Order to-go options by calling 480-421-7997 by Dec. 21 at 5 p.m.
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa
Enjoy holiday dining at Rita’s Cantina & Bar and Lincoln’s Steakhouse. On Christmas Day, Rita’s is serving a three-course pre-fixe menu that includes roasted cauliflower and parsnip bisque; baby kale and watercress salad; sherry orange glazed ham; cornish hen; seasonal sides and desserts like vanilla cheesecake with white chocolate peppermint snow.
Lincoln’s Steakhouse will be hosting Rita’s Cantina a la carte dinner on Christmas Day, where guests and locals can enjoy favorites like Guajillo Glazed Salmon and Lobster or Prime Flat Iron Carne Asada Steak Frites and the Christmas special: a 12 oz Ribeye Steak with sweet potato gratin, mushrooms, caramelized pearl onions and a demi glaze, along with a warm bread pudding topped with whipped cream, salted caramel sauce and toasted pecans.
Info: Christmas Day from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rita’s Cantina, $85 per person and reservations are recommended. Rita’s Cantina a la carte and Christmas special at Lincoln’s Steakhouse: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. items priced individually.
LUSTRE
Hotel Palomar’s other restaurant, LUSTRE, is on the hotel’s third-floor pool deck and is hosting a New Year’s Eve party. General admission will come with reserved lounge seating and live entertainment, and the VIP ticket includes a champagne toast, ballroom lounge seating, and specialty drinks and snacks. There are also specialty packages available for the hotel if you decide you don’t want to leave after the party.
Info: The party is from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. starting New Years Eve. General admission is $25 and VIP ticket is $125.
Maple and Ash
Maple and Ash in Scottsdale is offering a special entree for Christmas Day for dine in only: Lobster Thermidor- a petite filet mignon with truffle pomme puree, bordolaise & sauc e américaine, but will be offering their regular dinner menu for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, which includes their regular dinner menu for takeout. They’ll also feature two holiday cocktails: a Boozy Eggnog and an Apple Cider Old Fashioned.
Info: Christmas Eve: 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Christmas Day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and New Year’s Eve from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. with complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Reservations can be made at MapleandAsh.com.
Outrider Rooftop Lounge
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at the recently opened Outrider Rooftop Lounge at Canopy by Hilton Scottsdale Old Town. Outrider will be offering a specialty cocktail menu featuring drinks: 2020 Wha…!, The Resolution and CENTR Yourself, plus champagne specials and elevated bites. Guests can also experience The Mumm Lounge complete with branded swag, a champagne and cocktail ice luge, giveaways and more. If staying at the hotel for the weekend, Cobre Kitchen + Cocktails if offering New Year’s Day breakfast hours with a pop-up and a craft Bloody Mary bar complete with over-the-top accompaniments.
Info: Doors open at Noon; no reservations are needed, holiday dining is on a first-come, first-served basis; items are priced individually.
Roaring Fork
Roaring Fork’s executive chef is coming up with a special lobster and steak meal for this New Year’s Eve dinner, as well as seasonal menu items, only available the day of, such as 8 oz filet mignon, sugar-cured duck, and cedar-planked salmon.
Info: Only available December 31st starting at 4 pm. Make reservations at RoaringFork.com.
T. Cooks at Royal Palms
This year, T. Cooks at Royal Palms is offering many options for holiday dining on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Their Christmas Day prix-fixe holiday menu features Lemon Arugula Ravioli, Honey Glazed Ham, Mustard Rosemary Rubbed Prime Rib and other specialties.
Their New Year’s Eve four-course prix-fixe menu includes Chilled Lobster, Pan-Seared Halibut, Parsnip “OssoBuco,” Lemon Sorbet, Dulce De Luche and other dishes.
Info: Christmas Day dinner is $95++ per person and $38 for children 6-12 years. Reservations are required. New Year’s Eve dinner is available from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is $165++ per person and reservations are required and can be made here.
Taphouse Kitchen
Both locations of the Taphouse Kitchen are offering specials on Christmas Eve! For breakfast, any breakfast item will be priced at $10, and with purchase, diners (over 21 years old) can purchase a Bloody Marys or mimosa for one cent. For dinner, they’re also offering a quarter-pound Alaskan Red King Crab leg dinner, Miso Chilean Seabass and Smoked Prime Rib.
Info: Breakfast available from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m; dinner available from 5 p.m. to close. Dinners range from $36 – $45.99. Visit TaphouseKitchen.com to make reservations at their Phoenix or Scottsdale location.
The Americano
The Americano’s award-winning chef is cooking up a feast for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. On the day before Christmas, they are offering a prix-fixe three-course holiday dining menu, and for New Year’s Eve they are also having a prix-fixe dinner. Christmas menu highlights include: Olive Oil Poached Octopus, Maple Leaf Farm Spiced Duck Breast and Candy Cane or Mint Budino for dessert. Highlights from the New Year’s Eve menu include: Salt and Pepper Lobster Fritto, Saffron Halibut and Fiorentini Al Tartufo plus Black Forest Chocolate Cake or Apple Tart for dessert.
Info: For Christmas Eve, the meal is available starting at 5 p.m. and is $105 for adults, $50 for children. For New Years Eve, the meal is available starting at 5 p.m., and is $115 for adults, $55 for children aged 12 and under. To make a reservation, visit TheAmericanoRestaurant.com.
The LOLA
The LOLA in Glendale will be offering holiday dining for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day dining options this year. On Christmas Eve, guests can enjoy their brunch deal which includes the LOLA Holiday Pancake Board or choice of two entrees and a bottle of champagne for $35. On New Year’s Eve, guests can enjoy The LOLA’s standard menu with creative and tasty starters, boards, sandwiches and entrees, and a special three course menu for one night only. The LOLA will be open all day on New Year’s Day and is offerings LOLA Holiday Pancake Board or choice of two entrees and a bottle of champagne for $35.
Info: Christmas Eve is open for brunch from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New Year’s Eve brunch is open until 2 p.m. and reservations are required for the New Year’s Eve Mask-erade Party beginning at 5 p.m. Reservations made between 5 and 7 p.m. will enjoy $15 bottomless mimosas and can be made on OpenTable or visiting: thelolaaz.com. New Year’s Day orders are available for pickup, or delivery for a fee in certain areas, call 623-396-6201 for more information.
Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen
Celebrate the holidays with Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen’s Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve feasts. Christmas dinner options include a Cauliflower and Stilton Soup and Endive salad; main entree option of Roasted Half Chicken, Duck Breast with cherry chutney and Beet Raviolo. Guests can also choose from special entrees such as Desert Spiced Filet and Pan Seared Smoked Halibut for an additional $20 per person. They’re also offering seasonal desserts including Peppermint Cheesecake Fondue or Cinnamon Donut Holes.
On New Year’s Eve, Weft & Warp is offering guests a delicious meal starting with their choice of Tartare de Bouef or Brush and Lush Salad. Guests can choose from main entrees: Spanish Pulpo; Colorado Lamb Chops; Pea Risotto; Cured Pine Smoke Salmon and Wagyu New York Strip.
Info: Christmas Day, Dec. 25 dinner is $65 per person from 3 to 9 p.m. and New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 from 6 to 10:30 p.m is $85 per person. Call 480-214-4622 to make a reservation.
