Mariposa will offer a Christmas dinner to-go for pickup on Christmas Eve. The meal costs $300 and is designed to feed four to five people. It includes:
• prime rib with red wine jus and horseradish cream
• garlic herb focaccia
• crème fraiche potato purée
• roasted medley of seasonal vegetables with garlic, herbs and olive oil
• Mari’s Garden green salad with cucumber, Ho Farms tomatoes, sweet onions, radish and white balsamic dressing
• white chocolate and cranberry yule log.
To order, email duane_kawamoto@neimanmarcus.com or call 808-948-7573.
Herald the holidays with Sstripsteak Waikiki
STRIPSTEAK Waikiki diners can enjoy a three-course Christmas dinner with sides on Dec. 24 and 25. The menu starts at $130 per person, with supplements, a wine pairing and more available. Reservations are available from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. on both evenings.
The Christmas Eve and Day dinner menu includes:
• crab and corn chowder (king crab, truffle and lardons) or winter kale salad (butternut squash, pine nuts, goat cheese and citrus vinaigrette)
• herb-crusted prime rib: 12-ounce washugyu New York strip (supplement $30) served with scalloped hasselback potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and green beans
• Chocolate chip bread pudding with bourbon anglaise. For reservations and more, visit stripsteakwaikiki.com.
The Christmas Bar Hawaii is back
Hawaii’s over-the-top Christmas bar is back this year within Tiki’s Grill & Bar, located in the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel (2570 Kalakaua Ave.). The pop-up features festive decorations and holiday cheer, with numerous photo opportunities of Instagrammable drinks, yummy desserts, treats like cheese and charcuterie, and more.
The Christmas Bar Hawaii is open daily from noon to 11 p.m. through Dec. 23. No reservations are required, but if the bar is full, customers can add their names onto the waitlist and receive a text when there is space.
There is free valet parking available; other options include street and Honolulu Zoo parking. Check out Instagram (@thechristmasbarhawaii) to learn more.
A gingerbread showcase
The Kahala Hotel & Resort partnered with the Kapiolani Community College culinary school team to create a festive gingerbread house display in the hotel lobby.
Gingerbread house themes include a Scandinavia folk art-inspired cottage, a Victorian mansion on Christmas, a Christmas-inspired ice skating scene, the gingerbread men house and more. The houses are on display for all of December.
The resort is also hosting a tree decorating contest until Dec. 19. The Kahala has invited four local schools to decorate its tree in a “sustainability” theme, and you can vote online for your favorite. The four school contestants include Mary, Star of the Sea School; Treehouse Club; Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School; and Manoa Elementary School.
Visit kahalaresort.com/tree-decorating-contest to learn more.