I'm a classic Traditionalist when it comes to Christmas; I like to open presents and then have a Christmas breakfast, usually smoked mackerel, juice, etc. Cook the Christmas dinner and have all my family round me for a slap-up meal. This year (Or should that be last year now?), the wife announced that she wanted something different. Given that one of our daughters is a nurse and would be working Christmas Day and our other daughter with her husband and son intended to do something for themselves, it was just going to be me, the missus, and the dog. Consequently, she booked our Christmas meal at an establishment called Miller & Carter, which, to be honest, is better known for steak and chips rather than dinners, so I was a little apprehensive at the suggestion.
Four courses, £95.00 per head and with a choice of Turkey dinner and all the trimmings was a good deal as far as I was concerned. We started off with four Canapes of Chicken liver and brandy parfait crostini, basically, pate on toast. 😜
Very nice, but the wife doesn't like olives.
Next up was Starters. I had the portabello mushroom soup and focaccia with olive oil. At the same time, the missus had Roasted shallot and Armagnac tarte tatin, which is puff pastry topped with roasted shallots, red wine & Armagnac, chestnuts and pomegranate, drizzled in balsamic reduction.
Our mains were the standard Christmas turkey dinner with Brussels sprouts; the wife and I are weirdos! We love sprouts. 😂
I didn't like the cauliflower cheese. 🤢
For pudding, the wife had CROQUE-EN-BOUCHE Cheesecake
Vanilla cheesecake topped with profiteroles, and I had Chocolate Ganache with a raspberry sorbet.
What a brilliant experience. The room was full but not rowdy. I didn't have to cook it; someone else served us, and there was no washing up! We left the waitress a fairly big tip and resolved to do it again next year.
The menu was very varied, and the best part you didn't have to wash anything, at home I always have to wash the dishes after Christmas dinner and it's the most boring thing, there should be an elegant but edible tableware 🤣
The full menu is here: https://www.millerandcarter.co.uk/christmasdaymenu#/
Nothing wrong with eating out for Christmas. I've done it a few times. I do feel for those who have to work on that day, but I hope they get paid extra.
Happy new year!
I suspect they do it for the tips if ours was anything to go by.
HNY