December 22, 2014
Christmas in NoMad: Asellina, 230 Fifth, ilili and SD26
Looking for festive dining options in NoMad? Take a look at some of our favorite restaurants that will be open with special menus on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Asellina will be open both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, offering a special menu. The menu includes items like roasted beets with candied bacon, mint, orange and fiore sardo for $14, or clams and mussels zuppetta with saffron and tomato broth and a side of garlic focaccia for $18. More lavish entrees such as short rib with taleggio and wild mushroom risotto in a cherry and rosemary jus, run about $36. For more information and to reserve a table, visit Asellina online or call (212) 317-2908.
Mediterranean restaurant ilili will offer a special 4-course prix fixe menu on Christmas Eve. For only $68 per person (excluding tax and gratuity), the menu allows guests to pick two rounds from a list of small plates, one round from a selection of the restaurants entrees, and then a choice of dessert. Pair the kibbeh nayeh beirutieh (steak tartar) with moussaka, roasted lamb loin and sticky toffee bread pudding, or try one of ilili’s many other menu options.
Highly touted Italian restaurant SD26 will celebrate the traditional Italian holiday of Vigilia di Natale (Feast of the Seven Fishes). The Christmas Eve celebration allows patrons to choose four-courses from a prix fixe menu and costs $70 per person. The Christmas Day menu provides the option of three or four-courses and costs $70 for three-courses or $85 for four courses. Meals for children aged 12 and under are priced at $40. The entrees range from bollito misto and Chilean bass all’acquapazza to seared diver sea scallops and oven-roasted baby goat. For the full menu, head to the SD26 website. To reserve your spot, call (212) 265-5959.
Looking for something more casual? 230 Fifth will host an all-you-can-eat buffet on Christmas Day. Open from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m., the feast offers a carving station of oven roasted turkey, honey glazed ham and prime rib. Side dishes include garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet yams, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry sauce. Assorted pies and desserts top off the meal. The event costs $42 for adults and $25 for children aged 12 and under. For reservations, call (212) 725-4300.