"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

This holiday season was a whirlwind.  Given our hectic schedules we had no choice but to focus all of our shopping in two isolated outings.  The good news, however, was that each outing provided an excuse for some delicious food up as a respite from the holiday crowds.

First stop, Dandelion - Stephen Starr's homey throwback to the traditional British pub.  Dandelion has a wonderful ambiance, complete with a wide selection of delicious beer on tap (there was even a soccer game on the tube the Saturday morning we stopped in).  B and I both opted for the English breakfast.

Fried eggs paired with baked beans, thick sourdough toast, a roasted tomato, mushrooms, bacon, a traditional Cumberland sausage, and black pudding.  Black pudding, aka blood sausage, is a type of sausage that is made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.  It sounds gross but it was great.  We fell in love with this dish, and Dandelion itself, instantly.

Second stop, lunch at Oyster House.  Centered around the raw oyster bar (at which they do $1 oyster happy hours 5 days a week) with oyster plates lining the walls, Oyster house is a charming place to indulge in some fresh seafood.  B started with the clam chowder, while I opted for a green salad.

The salad was nicely dressed with a zesty lemon vinaigrette, and the chowder was hearty and creamy.  As an added bonus, while we waited for our main course at the oyster bar we were given a few oysters gratis.  Can't beat that.  For lunch I had the lobster roll and B the clam roll, both with homemade chips.

The clam roll was great, but that lobster roll cannot be beat.  The roll is perfectly toasted with a bit of butter on each side and the lobster is dressed to perfection.  If the chips had had a bit more old bay seasoning it would literally be perfection on a plate.

Next stop, an early Christmas celebration with B's family at his parent's house.  After presents and a great meal courtesy of my mother-in-law, we enjoyed her homemade Christmas cookies.

[B's grandfather, Poppy, playing with his cookies... I wish I could say this was the result of too much wine but all the boys seem to find it hilarious to play with any item of food or tableware that can be made into "eyes" like this.  I know, I don't get it either]

Since we had seen B's family for our early Christmas celebration, and we were heading out of town for vacation with my family on Christmas day, we decided to spend a nice night at home alone on Christmas eve.  We started with a plate of pepperoni, pear, honey, and a wonderful hard cheese (unfortunately I cannot recall the name).

After appetizers and presents, we enjoyed a beef lasagna and garlic bread from Georgetti's with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. 

It was simple (just pop the lasagna in the oven for an hour and 25 minutes, and the bread for 15 minutes, both at 350, and you're ready to enjoy) and delicious.  After dinner we watched a bit of It's a Wonderful Life before turning in so we could wake fully rested and ready for our vacation.

Turks and Caicos here we come!