Food: Sonoma restaurants open for Christmas

The question: What restaurants are open Christmas Eve and Christmas?

The answer: Not many this year.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission inn, Delhi Belly, Palms Grill, Black Bear Diner and Murphy’s Irish Pub are open Christmas Eve and Christmas. Most other restaurants are open Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve menus

On Christmas Eve chef Carlo Cavallo returns to some of the popular Venetian specialties he once served at Sonoma Meritâge at his and Codi Binkley’s reincarnated Bistecca e Vino at First Street East and East Spain Street.

Watch for Maine lobster bisque, sea scallop picatta with micro arugula black truffle potato salad, Maine lobster risotto with prosecco saffron sauce, Venetian bouillabaisse with Dungeness crab and jumbo prawns, squid ink pasta with jumbo shrimp and sea scallops, wild salmon with blood oranges, petrale sole stuffed with herbs and Dungeness crab. A la carte. 11:30 a.m. to last reservation at 8 p.m.

Glen Ellen Star will serve its regular menu du jour, plus a special Beef Wellington for two with truffle bordelaise. They will be closed on Christmas, open New Year’s Eve, and closed for winter spiff up from Jan. 1 to 14.

Christmas menus

Palms Grill will add a honey glazed ham dinner and a special prime rib dinner with soup or salad included from $17.95 and $26.95 depending on size of cut. 18999 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma. 939-8100.

Black Bear Diner always serves a “turkey plate” with sliced turkey breast, mashed red skin potatoes, vegetables, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce.

But this Christmas Black Bear will add a special turkey dinner and a prime rib meal that include soup or salad and cost from $16.99 to $26.99, depending on choices and slice of cuts. 201 W. Napa St., Sonoma. 935-6800.

Santé chef Marcellus Coleman will expand Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn’s Christmas buffet to include prime rib of beef with bone marrow and roasted Christmas goose. Also on the buffet will be Sante standards such as jumbo shrimp cocktail, oysters, foie gras, charcuteries, smoked salmon, local and imported artisanal cheeses, pumpkin risotto, braised veal sweetbreads, loads of vegetables and side dishes including truffled pommes robuchon, Brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, and turnips with miso butter, and an entire dessert buffet. $135, 1 to 8 p.m. 939-2407

Merry Christmas and everything to all!