When you live in a city renowned for its food, it doesn’t matter if you’re indoor dining, outdoor dining or dining at home, NYC is going to deliver. Literally. This holiday season, restaurants are putting their whole hearts into dinners to bring you cheer, and we have our roundup of the best spots to order in for Christmas, New Year’s and any time in between.
Benoit
This may just be the most Parisian bistro in NYC. And these guys are still doing outdoor dining, gosh bless them. For $90 a person on their special Christmas menu, you can indulge in oysters or foie gras, and a classic filet mignon or canard, where they mean business. Our favorite go-to dish on the menu though are their quenelles, which are pike dumplings that are filled with sauce that oozes out as you place your fork in for the first bite, spilling onto their rich lobster sauce. Don’t get us started on their creamy rice; quenelles will make it into your weekly rotation as you will be guaranteed to be hooked.
Red Farm
There is something about being able to order one of each on the menu for Christmas, that is a celebration in itself. Many of us have Chinese as a tradition for the Christmas meal, and Red Farm is serving up some of the best dumplings in the city. It’s modern, healthy Chinese, where traditional har gau is translated into Pac Man dumplings, where each is filled with a different shellfish, and Pac Man is actually a deep fried yam that is presented to gobble up bites of lobster, crab and shrimp. Everything on the menu though is delicious, and even the simple fried rice will be a new standard.
Philippe
We had to add in two favorite Chinese restaurants for Christmas, because Philippe is just a classic. Think of this as high brow Chinese cuisine, where their shrimp in egg whites over white rice is crave worthy, as is their renowned Peking Duck.
Carbone
If you haven’t been to Carbone lately, you need to talk a walk by, as they’ve partnered with American Express to create one of the more beautiful outdoor seating areas in the city. During the evening, their sister restaurant Sadelle’s down the street becomes a Carbone annex, serving up the famed rigatoni with vodka sauce. These guys have mastered their takeout, which is special enough to make it an elevated Christmas meal. This is easily one of the best spots to order in if you’re in NYC.
