December 2, 2013
Alex Barron
Restaurant Critic
Bon Appetit
Holiday time in Manhattan is high season for tourists, but the masses still haven’t fully caught on to the appeal of Christmas and New Year’s in the District. Advantage: locals. DC’s relative obscurity as a holiday season destination affords those in the know with an opportunity to see the capital in a way not usually available. As Christmas approaches, traffic is generally mild, and parking spots plentiful. On the Mall, small groups of sight-seers – often jaded locals who have stopped going out of their way to visit the monuments – wander up to the Capitol Building, pausing to admire the giant tree in front. It isn’t the same as the tree in front of Rockefeller Center, with its surrounding hubbub – and that’s just fine.
Most of DC’s finest restaurants are open for business during the holiday season, and some of them offer special menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s. But even if you only stop in for a bite on a random weekday night in December, you are guaranteed to catch a dose of holiday spirit from any of the five spots on this list.
5.) Blue Duck Tavern
The versatile, elegant Blue Duck Tavern, located in the Park Hyatt Hotel, always rises to the occasion, and during the holiday season, it doesn’t
disappoint. Shelves in front of the open kitchen (visible from most tables in the dining room) are decked with gingerbread treats, Christmas cookies and of course, rows and rows of those miraculous apple pies, Blue Duck’s signature dessert. Prix Fixe menus on both Christmas and New Year’s Day are sure to impress, whether you have a front row seat to watch the chefs hard at work in the open kitchen, or a more private table behind a wood-paneled wall.
4.) Fiola
It didn’t take long for Fiola, chef Fabio Trabocchi’s Italian fine dining restaurant, to catapult itself to the highest echelon of DC’s culinary scene. For Christmas Eve this year, Fiola is going all out with its take on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Italian-American holiday meal. At $145 per person, the feast isn’t cheap – but Trabocchi shows off an impressive range, from the traditional Baccala (salted cod) to the luxurious Nova Scotia Lobster. Items from the standard menu are available as well.
3.) Chart House
Old Town Alexandria always looks like a scene from colonial days, but King Street is at its most regal during December, when simple white lights on trees and store fronts provide relief from the usual commercialized malls. The Boat Parade of Lights, on December 7th, ushers in the holiday season with dozens of illuminated vessels making their way down the Potomac. The best vantage point for the parade is Chart House, which sits on a pier next to the Torpedo Factory Art Center. The second deck offers a panoramic view of the river, a fine complement to an extensive menu of fresh seafood.
2.) Normandie Farm
Tucked away in Montgomery County, Normandie Farm is a rustic country farmhouse where golden chandeliers hang from wooden rafters. The large fireplace helps create a warm atmosphere that makes it an ideal venue for festive occasions. Most of the menu – French-inspired with some distinctly Maryland touches – is on display for a charmingly traditional Christmas brunch.
1.) Café du Parc
It is hard to find a more Christmassy spot in DC than the lobby of the elegant Willard Hotel. The tree in the lobby towers high, but not as high as its imposing marble columns. The Willard would be worth a visit if only for a photo op, but it also happens to have one of the best French restaurants in the District, Café du Parc. After a bowl of mussels and a steak with frites, it might be tempting to spend the night. (Holiday rates at the Willard start at $179.) And why not snap a few more shots of that tree before checking out the next morning?
