Judging by the current contents of her apartment, Lauren Schreiber Sasaki is a woman who loves nothing more than celebrating Christmas at home.
On the mantel, a “Merry Christmas” garland hangs beneath a large collection of menorahs. An advent calendar shares a wall with several Magen David ornaments. Atop the coffee table stands the
pièce de rèsistance: a miniature Christmas tree, laden with ornaments and stationed next to a candle that smells like “Jewish Christmas.” (Buttered popcorn with notes of Chinese takeout, if you were wondering.)
In fact, this is all new for Schreiber Sasaki, 36, who runs Jewish&, a program for interfaith families at Toronto’s Miles Nadal Jewish Community Center. Since childhood, she’s felt a little resentful of the onslaught of enforced cheer that comes with Christmas. Now, as one-half of an interfaith couple and the mother of two young children, she worries that the “shiny, sparkly, sugary” nature of Christmas celebrations overshadow
For those who might be facing a less than full house for the holidays, or for those who may not wish to spend their holiday time slaving over hot stoves, a number of area restaurants will be open for service on Christmas Day.
Most hotel and casino restaurants are traditionally open Dec. 25, as are many Asian restaurants and convenience stores.
Here is a list of restaurants we have confirmed will be open on Christmas Day. Some will have special dishes for the holiday, while others will be offering their regular menus.
Dave & Busterâs, 6812 S. 105th East Ave., 918-449-3100. 5-10 p.m.
The Rundown | Dec. 17-24
The holidays are here, and you’ll want to eat – a lot. We’ve rounded up some special deals from Philly and surrounding area establishments to help you do just that.
Urban Farmer
Logan Square’s modern American steakhouse is offering Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners to-go
including everything you need for a delicious and special holiday meal at home. Guests will choose between a Roasted 1855 Beef Ribeye or Pennsylvania Ham with a bevy of sides, boasting Brussels sprouts, Yukon Potato Puree, Roasted Winter Vegetables, Cornbread, as well as guests’ choice of pie, including Coconut Custard, Shoo Fly, or Apple Almond Crumb. Whole packages are available for $180 and feed 4-6, while half packages are available for $100 and feed 1-2. Christmas Eve packages can be picked up between 2 and 8 pm on Dec. 24 and Christmas Day packages can be picked up between 11 am and 4 pm on Dec. 25. 1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway | 215.963.2788 | urban farmersteakhou
Seafood Feasts for Christmas Eve
Restaurants and caterers offer options for multicourse celebrations for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner from Destination Home.Credit.Allan Zepeda
Published Dec. 14, 2020Updated Dec. 16, 2020
The all-seafood Italian Christmas Eve dinner has acquired a more general audience. In this year of the pandemic, there are options for home delivery. Amali on the Upper East Side is offering the seven courses, including octopus, lobster bisque, spaghetti with clams and butter-poached lobster, $145 per person for pickup or delivery (10-mile radius of the restaurant). There are six courses but seven different fish in Hearth’s feast to go from the East Village, available for pickup. Destination Home is a new dinner service specializing in delivered special-occasion meals, with instructions for heating and plating. This feast from Olivier Cheng and Jennifer Zabinski includes a cocktail, bacala fritters, seafood salad, cioppino
Arcangelo Corelli’s Christmas Concerto (Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8) often turns up on classical Christmas music albums. And I admit I never quite understood why. To my ears, there wasn’t anything especially Christmassy about it.
That’s what makes this release so welcome. The liner notes explain the aesthetic behind these Italian Baroque Christmas concertos. And the album presents four examples that demonstrate that aesthetic.
In the early 1700s, Italian Christmas Eve services focused on the pastoral elements of the Nativity; the shepherds in the fields, the quiet of the evening, and the animals in the manger.