I guess asking about restaurants open on Christmas does sound like I am unenlightened about other cultures and religions. I do know better than that. My question sure sounds like I don’t.
It is just that I have spent holidays with my favorite person—me, and still made the best of it.

I think that it would be good for me to drive around on Christmas Day just to see which places are open and doing any business. In my town, the Chinese is take-out, with no real sit down places. If you are going to eat Chinese that day, some ambience would be nice.

I will frame the thought to fast food franchises that are open. That is sad. Sure there are people who do not celebrate the holiday(s) and need or would eat there. But do you think that the employees want to be there?
Most any restaurant of any type that are open those days have employees who don’t want to be there. lleechef is right about that….
Unless it is a Chinese one.

mark
mark

quote:

Originally posted by hatteras04

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy

On another note, I always wonder who really goes to those Chinese restaurants on T-Day and Christmas??? I feel sad for the people who work there and at the thought that they might even get folks who come in as a customers

mark

You do realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas don’t you? Also, there are a lot of people in this world who are just lonely and like to get out on the hoidays. My family and I went bowling once on Thanskgiving and we got a lane next to a woman who was by herself. She kind of integrated herself into our group which at first kind of annoyed me. And then my dad said to me to just be nice and think about how awful it would be to be completely alone on a holiday. Maybe the people who go out on those days are just looking for some human interaction. As for the workers, I know some people who work holidays and a lot fo the times they vounteer to do it becasue you usually get paid time and a half or better and then they have their celebratiosn on other days.

As for the origianl question, I thjink it depends on what you like to do on T-Day. I like to cook so I would go ahead and make all the sides complete with a full turkey. If you don’t like to cook and are more into just being together or football or a movie marathon then I think that the catering idea is a good one. Either way, it’s a day off. Enjoy it.

And don’t forget, not everyone is Christian (ergo no Christmas). For example, many NY’ers are Jewish and some like nothing more than catching a good flick and Chinese food while others are rockin around the Christmas tree!

I’ll be going to what’s open, a pretty high-end Italian restaurant just down the street after running a Turkey Trot in the morning with my daughter and then playing golf. And I’m not going to feel the least bit deprived. 🙂

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy

On another note, I always wonder who really goes to those Chinese restaurants on T-Day and Christmas??? I feel sad for the people who work there and at the thought that they might even get folks who come in as a customers

mark

You do realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas don’t you? Also, there are a lot of people in this world who are just lonely and like to get out on the hoidays. My family and I went bowling once on Thanskgiving and we got a lane next to a woman who was by herself. She kind of integrated herself into our group which at first kind of annoyed me. And then my dad said to me to just be nice and think about how awful it would be to be completely alone on a holiday. Maybe the people who go out on those days are just looking for some human interaction. As for the workers, I know some people who work holidays and a lot fo the times they vounteer to do it becasue you usually get paid time and a half or better and then they have their celebratiosn on other days.

As for the origianl question, I thjink it depends on what you like to do on T-Day. I like to cook so I would go ahead and make all the sides complete with a full turkey. If you don’t like to cook and are more into just being together or football or a movie marathon then I think that the catering idea is a good one. Either way, it’s a day off. Enjoy it.

I almost always have to travel on holidays. The most depressing was Thanksgiving at a Waffle House in South Carolina because ABSOLUTELY nothing was open.

All I wanted was a good meal and all I could get was smothered, covered and chunked.

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

Otherwise a CAPON works much better. Smaller bird, whole, good soup material, can be stuffed and just generally tasty.

I really like capon. One of my Grandmothers loved capon so I ate it quite often as a young lad. Only later in life did I found out what they did to the poor guy to fatten him up. [:0]

BakersBoy

Oh Yeah [:I]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy

On another note, I always wonder who really goes to those Chinese restaurants on T-Day and Christmas??? I feel sad for the people who work there and at the thought that they might even get folks who come in as a customers

mark

Mark,

I am one of those who goes to our local chinese place on Christmas Day. It is the only place that is open.

My family usually does Christmas Eve as our big meal and present day, Christmas Day is usually traveling to friends or family.

More recently my father comes in from Florida, and they do a BIG thing with his wife’s family on Christmas Eve, then we do a smaller thing on Christmas Day.

The Chinese place is the only place open for food until 4 pm when the pizza delivery places open up.

We all like Chinese, and that way no one has to cook and clean up again.

A little off topic (sorry mods)

In this day of everyone traveling for the holidays, why aren’t more places open for food.

Especially on Christmas Day, which is one of the busiest movie days of the year.

For years I traveled during Christmas Day, the only places open were convenient stores [xx(].

I’m really down with the cornish hens. There’s just something about eating a whole bird by yourself.

You really could go with a small turkey–leftovers are good. I’d say experiment with something. Spend the whole day cooking and having fun It’s cold out, nothing is open, no one is going anywhere. Open a bottle of red and cook your little brains out. Rent a Bogart movie. Have fun.

My family is doing Thanksgiving and Christmas all at once. (Yeah, I know, tell me about it). Why can’t we just have Thanksgiving at Thanksgiving, I ask, and deal with Christmas at Christmas? But I am just one person sans kiddies, so I have little say.

My Thanksgivings have often had two parts to them, one with family, and then later in the evening I sneak away to the very Irish "Tipperary Pub" in Detroit, where traditionally, each year promptly at 10 o’clock they show "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara; and we hoist a pint and toast the health of old friends, many of whom only get the chance to see each other on that evening.
Ahhh, all this holiday talk makes a man thirsty.

quote:

Originally posted by BakersBoy

The lovely Laura and I were married last weekend (pictures to follow). But since everyone went to the wedding it will be hard to get them back for Thanksgiving. You know, we live in Maryland and most of the folks live in Texas it is not an easy commute. My question(challenge) is how do you do Thsnksgiving with just two people. We will be doing some charity work But we also need sometime just for us, just cooking. Any ideas?

BB (Kevin)

If it’s just the two of you, then you need to answer the question of activity before you answer how to handle the food.

Of course when you go to a big, family Thanksgiving, you know what that involves. People pitching-in with stuff in the kitchen; pinochle and cigars in the basement; the kids on the floor in the den watching "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" or some such.
The activity is that of a big production.

On the other hand, for a quiet, sayyyy romantic, meal at home … do as much prep in advance so that you have a minimum of hassle and fuss when it comes time to light the candles and stuff the turkey.
Even such sacrilege as ordering the meal in, or going out to a restaurant might fit your activity needs.

Along that line, you might also consider checking in with local fancy hotels to see if they have a Thanksgiving special with a nice room and Thanksgiving dinner. (pumpkin-pie shaped jacuzzi, bottle of Cold Duck etc … ahem)

If it’s friends for a "dinner party" type evening … as much prep in advance as possible… fireplace set up to be lit and logs set aside, etc … basically trying to make yourself available to relax with your guests.
Going to someone elses house for Thanksgiving dinner … not much prep or clean up there … just bring a nice gift.

We’ve been there. I’d find a small turkey, and pick out a couple of "different" sides you’d both like to try. It’s good practice for when you’ll be doing the entertaining.

And (hopefully) you’ve got the whole long weekend to eat and figure out what to do with the leftovers. I make a soup stock out of the carcass, and we usually freeze some meat in gravy (leftover, if any, or prepared from the stock) with veggies to make a pot pie or two later.

Conrats and enjoy!

Congrats on getting hitched! My suggestion is the same as NYNM’s.. Places like Meijer and D&W let you preorder your dinner in advance (Around here, most delis offer that catering option). You pick out the turkey, sides, how many people it’s for, and they do all the cooking. So all you do is pick up your order a day or two in advance and heat up on the big day there. Actually considering the amount of work into making a decent dinner, the price is well worth it!
Either way, best of luck!!

I’d get a small turkey, and do the best of the traditional stuff that your and your spouse’s grew up with. That way you will be able to start your own traditions based upon the traditions of each of your families. The biggest benefit of this that when and if you have children, thn they will have traditions of their own.

I fix pretty much the same meal as my aunt did when I was growing up:

Turkey
Stuffing – in the bird, and an oyster stuffing and a sausage stuffing cooked seperately, these two were from my spouses side of the family.
Green bean casserole – the Campbells Soup recipe
Cranberry Sauce -homemade – this is my addition
Lumpy Mashed potatoes – this was my mother’s addition – she was a lousy cook, which is why we went to my aunt’s house for dinner
Relish Tray
Giblet Gravy
Spinach salad with hot bacon dressing
Homemade mac and cheese for my vegatarian son
Homemade white flour rolls with fresh churned butter
Pumpkin Pecan Pie – this is my wifes’ mother’s addition,she won’t give me the contribution, she won’t give me the recipe. I think she is afraid we won’t invite her if we know how to bake the pies ourselves.
Killer garlic, hot pepper dill pickles,, also grammas recipe, however she did give me the recipe for this.

This is all started with an early morning trail ride, for whomever wants to take a horseback ride.