I normally host Christmas Eve dinner for my parents, siblings and their families. This year, a sister who vists from out of state has offered to host us. They stay at a hotel with a very executive nice suite that she is confident can host 15 us of for dinner...we'll see!
Anyway...where does one get take out for Christmas Eve? I'm thinking that Chinese restaurants are probably the only ones that are defintiely open. Grocery stores would be closed by 6 PM wouldn't they? She was thinking of something like Whole Foods or Fresh Market but I think that she would need to get food that's hot and ready to serve and we usually go to Mass at 4:30 so we wouldn't be eating until around 6:30 or 7.
Have you done Christmas Eve takeout? What kind of places were options? Thanks!
I relish holidays alone looking at Lifetime tv. I order Luby's or food from a local Soul Food place a day ahead and just reheat it the next day.
Hi! Soulfire should be open, they deliver. Summer Shack will be open. They don't deliver but they work with www.diningin.com to deliver. I'll bet asking the hotel staff of what is within delivery range will find you a few more and searching by food type and making a few calls would prove fruitful. Good luck and have fun!! Have you asked at Chowhound?
I ordered dinner from my local supermarket (kroger) for thanksgiving last year as 'pete' was in the hospital. It was good...and all my kiddos had to do was 're heat' things.
I used them also for pete's celebration of life. They had all kinds of platters for finger foods - ribs, wings, cheese platters, deli, asian. fruit etc. All I had to do was order...and pickup. The prices were quite reasonable.
I would look into a local grocery store. I am sure they will have many options! And if you stick th a 'finger food' buffet, seating will not be an issue!
enjoy!
You would be surprised at what is open on Christmas eve and even Christmas day. Not everyone celebrates these holidays and a lot of people will preorder food to serve (even at home). I am sure most supermarkets will be able to cater her Christmas eve dinner and I am sure it will be lovely since what really matters it being with family.
Now where I live everything is open since I am next to the top vacation spot (I cant figure out why so many people need to go to Disney for Christmas day). We have plenty of choices here in Florida.
Place a take out order ahead of time (a few days ahead of time - confirm it the night before of the day you need it) at a local Chinese takeout place.
Say to have it ready for pick up so that you'll pick it up on your way from church.
You can ask if they can deliver it.
If the suite comes with a conference table it might help to have everyone seated at one table (someone can arrange for a table cloth and a center piece).
Check out the hotel (or have your sister do it) and see what facilities are available (what's available in the suites).
Not so much take out as prepared food.
But on Christmas Eve we do pot luck with lots of cheese trays, dips, chips, a smoked sliced turkey with rolls, mustards.. a big salad, Tamales. Cookies, cakes..
So nothing really that takes a lot of prep.
Think outside of the box. Does it have to be hot food? Or could it be more like a party?
I would think room service from the hotel has packages for just that very situation.
:)
Yeah, all I could come up with was "Chinese restaurant" as well...
Could the hotel she's staying at cater a dinner for you in the room, maybe?
I worked in a restaurant and most of them are open Christmas Eve. I know I worked on Christmas Eve! They may close earlier than usual, but the big name restaurants are generally open.
Assuming there is an oven - order Italian and let them know the plan. It will reheat very easily.
I have not done Christmas or Thanksgiving takeout but we have some very nice grocery stores.... Market Street, Central Market, Whole Foods, etc that have wonderful dishes that they prepare. Everything is an order ahead type of thing so don't expect to just drop in and get a dinner for 15.
Our country club also does a take out for all major holidays, pre-arranged orders only. Great food!
Does this nice hotel where they are staying have an option for preparing the dinner for you?
Good luck to you!
Chinese tends to be the only place open passed 4.
most Italian places are open til at least 5 or 6. if your sister is staying at a place that has an executive suite then more than likely there is a nice restaurant that is in the hotel that she can have food catered from.
Whole Foods (and probably Fresh Market, as well as most other grocery chains) do order-ahead full meals. She will have to order well in advance -- I'd do it right now. You can get the turkey, all side dishes, desserts, even drinks and disposable plates etc. Many also provide (as a rental, not to own) the heating trays and sterno canisters to keep it all hot. But she needs to do it now and check the times for pickup or delivery of these meals.
The Boston Market fast-food chain also does these full meals. They have roast turkeys, chickens, ham, sides, etc. And the Honeybaked Ham store and restaurant chain does this too though I am not sure if they do much more than hams and a few sides.
She'll pay for good quality, especially if it's from Whole Foods or Fresh Market, but it should be good food. But she cannot wait and arrange it once she's in town! Help her out by sending her the phone numbers for the local stores or links to their web sites.
Has she cleared this with the hotel? Many hotels would say no to having outside food on that scale if there's that large a group; they want to get the business for themselves, and if she expects to rent time in their executive dining room they may require her to let them cater as well. She might find that it's the best option anyway to have the hotel just cater a meal, but depending on the hotel, the food from some of the stores might be better...She does not want to order a ton of expensive food for 15 and then have the hotel say she can't serve it there. Or they may let her do the food but insist that she pay the hotel for staff to serve it, corkage charge on wine if she has that, fees for glasses and plates etc. She should check carefully first before paying for a huge meal to bring in.
Easiest option may be to make reservations and just eat out at a good restaurant. Nothing to clean up and throw away afterward. Many good restaurants are now open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for just this reason.
Take Out Chinese is a Christmas Tradition at our house!
We got huge boxes of the whole fixin's from places like Furrs, the grocery deli, a caterer, all sorts of places but she might need to start calling around now.
We got all the stuff mid afternoon and then everyone ate dinner when they got there. Sort of grazed. But the food would still be warm enough to eat even a few hours later, I wouldn't refrigerate it either. It would mostly be eaten that evening if she orders the right amount.
