Christmas dinner up in the air? Let these 20-plus Sacramento restaurants make a meal

Office parties have moved to Zoom. Family feasts are scaled down. Dining rooms — heck, even outdoor dining — are closed. No word yet on whether Santa’s gotten the vaccine.

COVID-19 will make Christmas, like everything else in 2020, a more isolated affair. It’ll mean a break from tradition for many families, who find themselves unable to dine at their usual spot or delegate the usual spread among a smaller group.

It’s also bad news for restaurants, which normally see a financial surge around the holidays to carry them through January’s down traffic. These 20-plus places have adapted to the circumstances with special menus for take-home Christmas dinners.

All are intended to be heated at home unless specified otherwise, and can thus be served Christmas Eve or the day itself. Many Chinese restaurants, of course, will still be open for takeout with their regular menus on Christmas.

▪ Allora (5215 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento): Allora’s $165 dinner includes antipasti, salad, contorni, an entree and dessert for two, with leftovers expected. Additional sides are available a la carte. Orders must be placed by Dec. 22 for pickup 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ Back Bistro (230 Palladio Pkwy., Suite 1201, Folsom): The a la carte menu’s main item is red wine-braised short ribs ($80 for four people), while sides include an endive salad ($19) and creamy polenta ($15) with eggnog pot de creme ($20) for dessert. Order by Dec. 22 for hot food pickup from 3-5 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ BAWK! Chicken + Bar (1409 R St., Suite 102, Sacramento): The four-person, $160 dinner comes with two pounds porchetta with fennel pollen and Italian sausage, charred broccoli rabe with pickled shallots and agrodolce, crispy fingerling potatoes with herbs and Pecorino Romano and an apple/pomegranate/bleu chesse winter salad.

▪ Camden Spit + Larder (555 Capitol Mall, Sacramento): Chef/co-owner Oliver Ridgeway walks buyers through the finishing touches on their $250 meal through video, with instructions for how to finalize popovers, prime rib, a yule log and more for four to six people. Pickup is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Dec 24.

▪ Canon (1719 34th St., Sacramento): Roasted duck ($200) or pork rack ($165) dinners for four include sides like black truffle potato gratin, Swiss chard and mushroom casserole and roasted carrots with peanut stew. Additional sides are available a la carte.

▪ Fabian’s Italian Bistro & Bar (11755 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks): A first course (lobster bisque or winter greens), a main (salmon Wellington, prime rib or wild mushroom risotto) and a dessert (chocolate hazelnut torte or Meyer lemon cheesecake) combine to run $59. Pickup is from 4-6 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ Hawks (5530 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay): A la carte specialties include gougères ($18 for 15 servings), boneless ham with a brown sugar/dijon glaze ($60 for six to eight or $120 for 12-14) and sticky toffee pudding ($32 for eight). Orders must be placed by Dec. 17, with pickup from 12-6 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ Hoppy’s Railyard Kitchen & Hopgarden (1022 2nd St., Sacramento): Mental transportation to New York (Wagyu strip steak, $49), San Francisco (Dungeness crab gratin, $39) and Portland (stuffed portobello mushroom, $29) is on the menu for Hoppy’s three-course dinner, which comes with tomato bisque or salad, housemade chocolate pudding and sides.

▪ Karen’s Bakery & Cafe (705 Gold Lake Dr., Folsom): Karen’s carries a range of options and sizes like quiches for six to eight people ($35), coffee cakes (10-14 slices for $26) and salmon crostini appetizers ($120 for 10-20 people). Orders must be placed by Dec. 19.

▪ Kitchen 428 (428 1st St., Woodland): Two- or four-person family meals center around prime rib ($78 for two, $150 for four), turkey with gravy ($68/$130) or glazed ham ($65/$125. Pickup for hot-and-ready meals is available from 3-6:30 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 1-4:30 p.m. on Dec. 25.

▪ Matteo’s Pizza & Bistro (5132 Arden Way, Carmichael): Matteo’s a la carte menu includes mains like two pounds of boneless short ribs braised 14 hours in a Negra Modelo broth ($33.90), pistachio-garlic crusted rack for lamb ($27.50 for two to three people) or roasted vegetable lasagna ($58 for 9-12 people).

▪ Nixtaco (1805 Cirby Way, Suite 12, Roseville): Porchetta ($150), smoked beef ribs ($180) or bone-in prime rib ($220), with three sides such as chipotle bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, sauteed crimini mushrooms or macaroni with chicharonn, also known as mac-and-chich. Orders must be placed by Dec. 20.

▪ Pho Bac Hoa Viet (6645 Stockton Blvd., Suite 300, Sacramento; 3110 Bradshaw Rd., Sacramento; 7600 Greenhaven Dr., Suite 9, Sacramento): Build-your-own spring roll party packs come with a choice of protein, sides and dipping sauce. Two-person orders are $24.99 with a $5 gift card and rice paper dipping bowl.

▪ Randy Peters Catering (105 Vernon St., Roseville): Christmas feasts center around mains like garlic-roasted prime rib with Yorkshire pudding ($320 for 12-14 people), orange-bourbon glazed duck ($255 for 9-10) and mushroom-brie-walnut vegetarian Wellington ($195, 8-10). Also available a la carte. Delivery and pickup available through 2 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ Restaurant Josephine (1226 Lincoln Way, Auburn): An a la carte dinner menu as well as Christmas cocktails and Dutch baby pancake kits ($18, serves two). Order by 5 p.m. on Dec. 20, pickup from 12-4 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ Roxy Restaurant & Bar (2381 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento): The price of each two-person meal varies with entree (prime rib, $100; shrimp linguine all’Amatriciana, $85; chicken piccata, $75) but each comes with a choice of soup or salad, two sides and dessert or dinner rolls. Orders must be placed by 7 p.m. on Dec. 19; dinners are served hot and available for pickup beginning at 2 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ Sheldon Inn Restaurant & Bar (9000 Grant Line Rd., Elk Grove): Dinner for two at $115 includes Chateaubriand with roasted vegetables, Bloomsdale spinach salad with dried cherries, almonds and goat cheese and sourdough and cranberry rolls. Pick-up is available 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ The Breakroom (4131 S. Shingle Rd., Suite 7, Shingle Springs): Herb-roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, housemade gravy, cheesy vegetable bake, stuffing, cranberry relish and dinner rolls for four to six adults runs $79.99. Pick-up from 1-5 p.m. on Dec. 23.

▪ The Firehouse Restaurant (1112 2nd St., Sacramento): Honey garlic-roasted ham, roasted beet and feta salad, pork belly-braised Brussels sprouts, roasted fingerling potatoes, red-eye gravy and cranberry-golden raisin bread pudding for four people and $180. Orders must be placed by Dec. 17, curbside pickup available 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Dec. 24.

▪ The Waterboy (2000 Capitol Ave., Sacramento): The omnivorous dinner for two comes with a bistro plate (chicken liver mousse, house pate, brie, croutons, pickled vegetables and mustard) and a cassoulet made with duck confit, garlic sausage, pork belly, lamb shank and white beans. Its vegetarian cousin includes potato-leek soup with roasted cabbage and a cassoulet centered around roasted winter vegetables. Both come with a Meyer lemon cranberry cake and are $78. Available for pickup 12-2 p.m. on Dec. 23 or 24.

▪ Tommy J’s Grill & Catering (726 2nd St., Davis): For $34.95 per person, includes prime rib, colcannon potatoes, roasted asparagus, creamed corn, dinner roll, au jus, creamy horseradish sauce and a choice of dessert from Woodland-based baker Jenn Chang. Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. on Dec. 21.

▪ Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse (1322 V St., Sacramento): Smoked brontosaurus beef ribs (4.5 to 5 pounds after cooking), a half pan of charred broccolini and a half pan of gruyere-and-Parmesan potatoes au gratin. Feeds 4-6 people for $190. Orders must be placed by midnight on Dec. 17. Pick-up is Christmas Eve.

▪ Yolanda’s Tamales Factory (6885 Luther Dr., Sacramento): Yolanda’s charges $50 for a dozen tamales with rice, beans and salsa, or $35 for a dozen a la carte. Flavors include pork, chicken, beans-cheese-jalapeños, vegetables or sweet (pineapple and strawberries), and customers can mix-and-match. Available for pickup from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 12:42 PM.