Appetite: 4 Restaurants to Visit for Christmas Dinner

Maybe you’ve gotten caught up in the holiday spirit and haven’t concocted a Christmas menu yet. Or maybe your holiday plans have made a drastic U-turn and now you’ve got many more (or fewer) guests for dinner than you anticipated. Or maybe you just want to take the pressure off at home for a few hours. No matter the reason, these restaurants have you covered for Christmas dinner:

The Majestic, 911 King St.

Known for its family-style Sunday dinners, the Majestic is opening its doors for Christmas Day with a prix-fixe affair. Start with corn muffins and a relish tray, then move on to soup (butternut squash), salad (Caesar) or dip (Muhammara, hot pepper). Feast on prime rib, turkey breast, salmon or pasta for a main course, and tie everything up neatly with a choice of coconut cake, bread pudding or crème brulee. Noon-8 p.m. $65 for adults; $25 for children 10 and under. Reservations recommended.

Virtue Feed and Grain, 106 S. Union St.

At the other end of King Street from the Majestic, nestled across the street from the river, Virtue Feed and Grain is offering up its own spin on seasonal fare. Its three-course prix-fixe menu offers wintry favorites like baked mac and cheese and pomegranate-orange salad to start, followed by a half-dozen entrée options ranging from braised lamb shank to grilled wild boar chops. Dessert runs the gamut from peanut butter ice box pie to pumpkin cheesecake with a stopoff at a poached pear. Noon-8 p.m. $49 for adults; $25 for children 12 and under. Reservations recommended.

Sonoma Cellar, 207 King St.

The popular wine bar and café is offering a respite from home cooking with a five-course menu. Start with a soup or salad, then be surprised by the chef’s choice of an amuse bouche; then move on to a main course featuring the likes of a baked ham, rib-eye roast, or vegetable fettuccine. Cleanse your palate with a cheese course and top it all off with dessert. And since Sonoma Cellar is a wine bar, after all, expect a wide range of vino choices, all at 30 percent off regular prices. 4-10 p.m. $60. Reservations required.

Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza and Tap, 401 E. Braddock Road

Not in the mood for all the hullabaloo of a prix-fixe menu? Lena’s has you covered. Alongside their typical offerings, the pizza and pasta purveyor is offering up a handful of Christmas specials, including lobster fra diavolo — lobster with pasta and a spicy tomato sauce — chicken alla puttanesca and a wood-roasted Tuscan half chicken. Tired of the typical holiday pies? Take a bite out of the restaurant’s Italian velvet cake: Chocolate cake with Italian buttercream, sugared cranberries, rosemary syrup and cranberry sauce. 1-8 p.m. Reservations recommended.

Hope Nelson owns and operates the Kitchen Recessionista blog, located at www.kitchenrecessionista.com. Email her any time at hope@kitchenrecessionista.com.