Where to Dine and Take out Christmas Dinner in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley restaurants offer special menus for cozy Christmas Eve dinners and festive takeout platters to make your holidays merry.
By Raphael Beretta, Matt Moment, and Sabrina Sucato
Is a no-cook Christmas at the top of your wish list? Does the thought of having to turn on the oven for Christmas Eve dinner have you shaking in your slippers? Fear not! We’re unwrapping the best Valley venues open during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, just for you. This December, you deserve an unforgettable holiday meal with all the trimmings and none of the stress.
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Order entire family meals for pickup or reserve a date night for two at some of the Hudson Valley’s finest establishments. Place orders and make reservations soon since restaurants book fast. These are the tastiest menus to savor local fare for the holidays.
Takeout
An Artistic Taste
Order by December 22 for pickup December 24, 5-7 p.m.
A la carte
Harriman
An Artistic Taste opened in July 2020 amid the pandemic, meaning, as a new business, the odds were stacked against it. But if you’ve ever tasted its array of modern American cuisine, you probably aren’t surprised that the restaurant weathered the storm with gusto (its motto, after all, is “Let us wow you!”). Savor the culinary stylings of Chef Andre Robinson this Christmas Eve with dishes like his sausage-cranberry stuffing, pernil, jerk chicken, and rum raisin blueberry bread pudding.
Honest Weight Food Co-Op
Order by December 21 for pickup December 24
A la carte
Albany
Looking for a holiday spread that’s accessible for all? Honest Weight Food Co-Op in Albany assembled a massive holiday catering menu with a slew of gluten-free and vegan dishes. Vegan crab dip (made from jackfruit), modified mozzarella sticks, and buffalo seitan bites round out plant-based appetizers. For main courses, check out the lentil loaf glazed with maple balsamic ketchup and the (gluten-free, but not plant-based) Spanish chicken and pineapple sage pork loin dishes. Orders are portioned for groups, with small sizes serving 10 to 12 people and large sizes serving 20 to 24 guests. Plus, gluten-free treats like the cranberry-orange tea cake, blueberry crumb pie, and vegan cookie platter end the night before the big day on a sweet note.
Marina's Pizza
Pickup December 24, 12-6 p.m.
A la carte
Harriman
Since the ’80s, Marina’s has been an Italian staple in Orange County with slices, pies, entrées, and house specials aplenty. Rather than trying to recreate the penne vodka or chicken parm for your family—a Sisyphean task, indeed—look to Marina’s’ catering menu constituted by small and large portions of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
McKinney & Doyle
Order by December 21 for pickup December 23-24
A la carte
Pawling
Pawling is a gorgeous slice of the Hudson Valley around the holidays, and McKinney & Doyle is iconic for classic fare in the region. The takeout menu for Christmas dinner has so many tasty items from which to choose. Treat the family to asparagus stilton pastries, Maine lobster bisque, and jumbo shrimp cocktail before digging into succulent mains. Large plates feature a whole-roasted beef tenderloin, lobster risotto, and a simple burrata platter of tomato relish, olive oil, and fresh basil. Enjoy top-tier desserts from the renowned bakery, including chestnut biscuits, eggnog chiffon pie, pear almond tart, and so much more.
Rossi & Sons
Pickup December 23-24
Feasts for 4-6, 8-12, or 16-20
Poughkeepsie
Rossi & Sons has become something of a mecca for food influencers, but there is something exceptionally traditional about Rossi’s delicious Italian food and the holidays. This year, customize your Christmas Eve and Day dinners with a vast array of hearty options. Feasts, complete with antipasti, pasta, entrées, sides, and old-world desserts, are available in small, medium, and large sizes. Small spreads feed four to six, while large sizes are portioned for 16-20 people. The team at Rossi’s serves mouthwatering trays of penne alla vodka, rigatoni Bolognese, fontina mac, and veggie lasagna alongside chicken francese, roast pork shoulder, and a Christmas Eve staple, zuppa di pesce.
Dine-In
Diamond Mills Hotel and Tavern
Christmas Eve dinner, 5-9 p.m.
Five-course prix fixe, $95 /adult
Saugerties
When you can’t deal with the hassle of preparing a multi-course feast for December 24, do yourself a favor and bring the family to Diamond Mills. The hotel’s tavern hosts an elaborate, five-course, prix fixe meal that’s sure to entice Hudson Valley foodies.
Kick things off with a seven fishes pasta which ambitiously combines clams, mussels, calamari, monkfish, shrimp, scallops, and seared salmon linguini in a roasted garlic tomato cream sauce sprinkled in crushed red pepper. Next, lighten it up a little with a salad of Brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds, pecorino Romano cheese, toasted walnuts, and a honey balsamic vinaigrette. The potato and leek soup with bacon crumble and chive sour cream, served as the third course, is a superlative comfort food. As for entrées, diners will select from the honey, thyme, and Grand Marnier glazed ham; the apple-cranberry Cornish hen; a locally sourced beef tenderloin; and a butternut squash lasagna. If you still have room for desert after that amalgam of decadence, the dessert options are tempting. Order the peppermint cheesecake, chocolate hazelnut cake, or hot chocolate bread pudding for a showstopping finish.
The Greekish
Christmas Eve dinner
Four-course dinner, $75/person
Nyack, Harrison
The Greekish puts its own unique twist on Christmas Eve dinner via the creativity of Chef Constantine Kalandranis. The meal begins with an homage to an Italian holiday tradition, feast of the seven fishes, with a selection of crudo meze (crudo is the Italian version of sushi, and meze are akin to tapas). For the second course, diners will choose between a crispy calamari and steamed mussels loukaniko. Keeping with the theme of sea-sourced deliciousness, the third course is comprised of sizzling octopus, grilled branzino, or shrimp spanakorizo. The Christmas Eve prix fixe experience concludes with a sweet treat selected by Chef Kalandranis himself. Be sure to make a reservation online.
Hudson House River Inn
Christmas Eve dinner, 4-9 p.m.
Three-course dinner, $54 per person
Cold Spring
The holidays are a tradition at Cold Spring’s Hudson House River Inn, a local institution since 1832. Enjoy a savory starter in the way of the lobster bisque or caramelized apple and butternut squash soup, then move to mains like the grilled swordfish or Faroe Island salmon. To finish, choose between blueberry tartine, New York style cheesecake, or pumpkin pie.
OKO
Christmas Eve dinner
A la carte
Rye
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…there were stomachs a-grumbling, craving Japanese cuisine. If you haven’t yet paid a visit to OKO, the Westchester kitchen that “celebrates Japanese techniques and traditions,” consider stopping by before your Christmas festivities commence. With Chef Brian Lewis at the helm, OKO is a foodie destination for sushi, sashimi, and traditional Japanese dishes made with local ingredients. The restaurant doesn’t offer any additional holiday specials, but don’t let that deter you; the standard menu is well worth the trek.
Shadows on the Hudson
Christmas Eve dinner, 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
A la carte
Poughkeepsie
If you’re in the market for glorious Hudson River views to complement your meal, Shadows offers riverside dining to die for in Poughkeepsie. Seafood favorites like scallops with maple squash puree, brodetto, and cranberry maple-glazed salmon accompany land-locked NY strips, filet mignon, and pear ravioli. The Hudson Valley restaurant also has an assortment of fun appetizers and sides like the garlic bread tower, buffalo calamari, and pumpkin hummus. After that, dig into desserts like the chocolate-caramel ganache or vanilla bean crème brulée.
Ship Lantern Inn
Christmas Eve dinner
A la carte, also available for takeout
Milton
What’s the oldest restaurant you’ve dined at in the Hudson Valley? Milton’s cozy Ship Lantern Inn offers a full specials menu for Christmas Eve dinner during its 98th year operating. Some of the timeless classics served are escargot bourguignonne, baked clams, porcini-dusted Chilean sea bass, and braised short rib over butternut squash risotto. The restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day, so enjoy a bountiful continental meal before Santa arrives.
Stagecoach Inn
Christmas Eve dinner, 4-8 p.m.
Three-course dinner, $85/person
Goshen
On Christmas Eve, Stagecoach Inn treats diners to a showstopper of a December dinner. With reservations starting in late afternoon and three-course meals available, this is an excellent option for families. Pair signature dishes with one of the inn’s specialty cocktails for a meal made in holiday heaven. Start with decadent appetizers like parsnip purée and ricotta gnocchi. Then, move onto Icelandic cod chowder, filet mignon, farro piccolo, roasted Statler chicken, or lasagna al forno.
Terrapin
Christmas Eve dinner, Dining room: 5-9:30 p.m.; Red Bistro: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tapas and an entrée, $69/person
Rhinebeck
This popular Rhinebeck eatery decks the halls for the holiday with twinkle lights and garlands galore. As for eats, diners can order off the regular menu in the Red Bistro or try specials from the prix fixe menu in the main dining room. The prix fixe experience entitles patrons to a tapas platter—complete with grilled lamb chops, goat cheese wontons, crispy artichokes, and a duck quesadilla—plus an entrée. Dishes like pumpkin ravioli, gemelli with oyster mushrooms, maple-brined pork chops, and New York strip steak round out the seasonal offerings. Tack on one of Terrapin’s tasty cocktails, and this year’s dinner is one to remember.
Troutbeck
Christmas Eve, 5-8 p.m.
A la carte or a $165/person prix fixe
Amenia
This holiday season, Troutbeck teams up with chef Molly Levine of Westerly Canteen to offer a feast of the seven fishes prix fixe menu in addition to the typical a la carte options. The prix fix fixings include broiled oysters, smoked hake, and squid ink linguini. For more details on the feast, take a look at the Christmas Eve menu. Since you’re already in Amenia, why not book a stay at Troutbeck?