Christmas 2012 L.A. dining guide

Looking to celebrate Christmas out on the town? Want a seafood feast? Prime rib? Need to pick up some tamales? Lots of Los Angeles restaurants are here to help with the festivities:

Alma: Ari Taymor’s restaurant in downtown L.A. will be hosting a winter solstice supper on Thursday. A four-course tasting menu will be available for $60 per person. Call for menu details and reservations. 952 S. Broadway, L.A., (213) 444-0984, www.alma-la.com.

Caulfield’s: The bar and dining room’s new chef Stephen Kalt is preparing a holiday menu for Angelenos on Christmas Eve with seatings from 5 to 10 p.m. In addition to the restaurant’s a la carte menu, holiday specials include white asparagus bisque and lobster dumpling and roasted prime rib with Yorkshire pudding and whipped potatoes. A complimentary holiday libation from the bar team and sweets from pastry chef Kriss Harvey will also be offered to diners. Call for reservations. 9360 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 388 6860, www.caulfieldsbeverlyhills.com.

The Churchill: This West 3rd Street gastropub will be hosting Christmas Day dinner with a three-course prix fixe for $35 per person. Starting at 5 p.m., the Churchill will be serving up seasonal dishes such as a carrot, apple and ginger soup, glazed ham with figs and basil and fuyu persimmon cake, in addition to Christmas cookies for everyone. 8384 W 3rd St., L.A., (323) 655-8384, www.the-churchill.com.

Cook’s County: Opt out of the prix fixe dinner and head to Cook’s County on Christmas Eve for special dishes such as grilled prime rib and a flaming Christmas pudding, in addition to the restaurant’s regular menu. Call for reservations. 8009 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 653-8009, www.cookscountyrestaurant.com.

Craft: The Craft team is celebrating the season with a Christmas Eve menu served from 6 to 10 p.m. First-course options, including winter greens, game terrine and oysters, and sides, which include winter squash, roasted potato and mushrooms, will be served to the table. For the main course, guests can choose from dishes such as diver sea scallops, duck, yam agnolotti and braised beef short ribs and for dessert, sticky toffee pudding, a chocolate pecan tart with toasted coconut and ice cream will be served. Christmas Eve dinner at Craft is $105 per person. Call for reservations. 10100 Constellation Blvd., L.A., (310) 279-4180, www.craftrestaurantsinc.com.

Drago Centro: On Christmas Eve, Drago Centro will be dishing up a seven-course dinner for $70 per person with optional wine pairings for an additional $45. Dishes include a smoked salmon salad, Maine lobster cappuccino, black and white scallop agnolotti, roasted monkfish, mint panna cotta and more. Call for reservations. 525 S. Flower St., L.A., (213) 228-8998, www.dragocentro.com.

Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood: A $95-per-person holiday menu will be available at Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood on Christmas Day. Savory dishes include turkey with chestnut stuffing, roasted beef Wellington, braised pork belly and more. And for dessert, the menu features sweets such as English sticky toffee pudding and bûche de Noel. 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-7788, www.thelondonwesthollywood.com.

Hatfield’s: Christmas Eve dinner at Hatfield’s will feature a four-course prix-fixe of some of the restaurant’s favorite dishes. Priced at $72 per person, the special holiday menu features beet-cured fluke with buckwheat crisps; charred Spanish octopus with broccolini and paprika potatoes; red wine braised short ribs with chive spaetzle and fried shallots; and to finish, Karen’s famous sugar and spice beignets with Venezuelan chocolate fondue and Earl Grey milkshakes. Call to make reservations. 6703 Melrose Ave., L.A., (323) 935-2977, www.hatfieldsrestaurant.com.

Inn of the Seventh Ray: The farm-to-table style restaurant in Topanga Canyon will keep its doors open from 4:30 to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve for a holiday feast. Chef Bradley Miller will be serving a selection of seasonal dishes including oven-roasted goose, chorizo and cornbread stuffing and Vermont maple yams. Inn of the Seventh Ray’s regular menu will also be available. Reservations can be made online. 128 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, (310) 455-1311, www.innoftheseventhray.com.

Jar: Suzanne Tracht will be serving up signature dishes a la carte in addition to specials on Christmas Eve at Jar. Starting at 5:30 p.m., guests can dine on mussels with lobster bernaise and fennel salt, pot roast, char siu pork chops and end the evening with Jar’s butterscotch pudding. Reservations can be made online or by calling (323) 655-6566. 8225 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 655-6566, www.thejar.com.

Joe’s: The Abbot Kinney eatery is open on Christmas Eve offering Angelenos a four-course dinner themed “The Flavors of Christmas.” Chef Joe Miller and kitchen will prepare a holiday menu featuring caviar, smoked salmon, milk and cookies, and more. Dinner is $68 per person. Call for reservations. 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (310) 399-5811, www.joesrestaurant.com.

Locanda del Lago: The Italian eatery will be open for supper on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with special dishes also offered a la carte. The holiday menu includes guinea hen breast, housemade capon chicken tortellini, veal tenderloin and traditional Italian sweet bread with raspberries. Guests can choose dishes from a three-course tasting menu for $49 per person or four-course tasting menu for $62 per person. 231 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 451-3525, www.lagosantamonica.com.

Mélisse: Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin is preparing a five-course Christmas Eve dinner priced at $150 per guest. Menu items include chestnut soup, Maine lobster, crisp loup de mer (European seabass), a prime filet of beef with twice-baked potato parmentier and a fig and apple tart, for dessert. Reservations are offered from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are advised. 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 395-0881, www.melisse.com.

Michael’s on Naples: On Christmas Eve, Michael’s on Naples in Long Beach will be offering a five-course prix fixe holiday dinner with a menu featuring ahi tuna crudo, zuppa di pesce with clams, mussels, shrimp, octopus and sea bass, hand-rolled ricotta pasta with braised wild boar and more. The holiday menu will conclude with Italian cookies and eggnog. The prix fixe is $75 per person and reservations are advised. 5620 E. 2nd St., Long Beach, (562) 439-7080, www.michaelsonnaples.com.

Mozza’s Scuola di Pizza: Mozza chefs will be preparing a feast of the seven fishes for those who fancy a traditional Italian feast on Christmas Eve. The Mozza Scuola di Pizza will be hosting the celebration with a Prosecco reception starting at 7 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. The menu includes crostone of tuna tartare, lobster trezzamini, baccalà stuffed squashed blossoms, sea urchin risotto and cacciucco alla livornese. Dinner is $95 per person. Reservations can be made online or by calling (323) 297-1133. 6610 Melrose Ave., L.A., (323) 297-1130, www.mozza2go.com.

Napa Valley Grille: Westwood Village’s Napa Valley Grille will be offering seasonally inspired dishes for one week, starting on Christmas Eve. Chef Taylor Boudreaux’s holiday menu will feature dishes like roasted veal marrow, handmade chestnut agnolotti, pancetta-wrapped venison chop and an apple galette with salted caramel and vanilla gelato. Holiday menu items start at $9. Call for reservations. 1100 Glendon Ave., L.A., (310) 824-3322, www.napavalleygrille.com.

Providence: Providence is celebrating Christmas Eve with La Vigilia -- the feast of the seven fishes. Chef Michael Cimarusti’s menu features seven different seafood varieties inspired by his grandmother and great-grandmother. Seafood dishes include Tai snapper sashimi, pasta alla chitarra, lobster, cod and scallops. And for dessert, Providence will be serving up a gianduja mousse with cocoa praline fiancier and pear sorbet. Call for reservations. The holiday menu, priced at $125 per person or $175 per person with wine pairings, will be offered from 4 to 8 p.m., in addition to a limited a la carte menu. 5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 460-4170, www.providencela.com.

Ray’s & Stark Bar: The restaurant located at LACMA will be offering an a la carte menu in addition to a three-course Christmas Eve menu starting at 5 p.m. The menu’s first course features dishes like baked Weybridge cheese and sunchoke soup; main-course options that include beef rib eye and goose breast and galatine; and for dessert, guests can choose a traditional Christmas Yule log or almond spice cake. The prix fixe is $55 per person. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 857-6180, www.raysandstarkbar.com.

Scarpetta: On Christmas Day, Scarpetta in Beverly Hills will offer a Christmas buffet from noon to 9 p.m. The $88-per-person buffet will feature dishes such as whole roasted branzino, pumpkin tortellini, Scott’s spaghetti and more. For an additional $22, guests can sip on unlimited cocktails: Mimosas, Bloody Marys and bellinis. Reservations are advised. 225 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (866) 743-7559, www.montagebeverlyhills.com.

Street: Susan Feniger’s Street is offering tamales for sale by the dozen this holiday season. Flavors include pumpkin poblano, Oaxacan jackfruit, chicken mole, Nicaraguan pork and sweet corn with cinnamon and raisin. Tamales are $36 per dozen or $30 per dozen for orders of two dozen or more. Tomatillo avocado or smokey chipotle salsas are also available by the pint for $8. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance. Tamales will be available for pick-up all day on Dec. 23 and until 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. 742 N. Highland Ave., L.A., (323) 203-0500, www.eatatstreet.com.

Trattoria Neapolis: Feast on the traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal consisting of seven or more kinds of seafood dishes at Trattoria Neapolis. Chef Bryant Wigger will be cooking up a menu featuring salt cod; seared branzino with sweet onion agrodolce and currents; a Tuscan seafood stew with prawns, sturgeon, calamari, octopus, black mussels and tomato-saffron brodo; and a selection of gelati and Italian cookies for dessert. The Christmas Eve meal is $55 per person. 336 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, (626) 792-3000, www.trattorianeapolis.com.

Valentino: Piero Selvaggio’s 40-year-old classic Italian fine-dining establishment is hosting Christmas Eve dinner. From 6:30 p.m. to closing, Valentino will offer a special five-course tasting menu featuring red mullet risotto fritters, a warm Maine lobster salad with spiced Sicilian couscous, squid ink ravioli with seafood ragu, roasted veal with crispy potatoes and vegetables and, to finish, panettone pudding with gelato and berries. An a la carte menu will also be available. Dinner is $99 per person. 3115 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 829-4313, www.valentinosantamonica.com.

Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel Air: On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a four-course prix-fixe dinner will be available from 5 to 9:30 p.m. for $160 per person and $65 for children 12 and under. Chestnut soup, sweetbreads, hand-cut tortellini pasta, Maine lobster pot pie and Cantonese style duck are among the items featured on the holiday menu. To compliment the festivities, the sounds of holiday carolers will fill the air from 6 to 9 p.m. A special Christmas Day brunch menu will also be offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $125 per person and $65 for children. 701 Stone Canyon Road, L.A, (310) 909-1644, www.hotelbelair.com.

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