5 Things You Need to Eat and Drink in December

Whew, is anyone else suffering from holiday fatigue yet? We’ve gotta get through December, folks, because there are so many amazing things to eat and drink—and this isn’t even taking into account all the ‘nog and cookies! Here are a few recommendations:

Drink away your holiday blues at Rob Roy.
Rob Roy is no stranger to holiday drinking—they’ve built a pretty epic tradition of rolling out next-level Christmas cocktails for the month of December. But this year, the Belltown bar is doing things a little different: through Dec. 24, they’re hosting Miracle, a pop-up bar in conjunction with NYC’s Mace, with cocktails designed by award-winning bartender there Nico de Soto. Expect the full onslaught of Christmas cheer, from decorations to holiday songs to thematic glasses shaped like Santa’s pants. They’re also hosting a holiday cocktail class with drinks from around the world (what is moose milk?!)… get your tickets here.

Try haleem in Issaquah.
Renton’s Naan n Curry has reportedly served the likes of Paul Allen, Bill Gates, and Satya Nadella, between supplying aircraft meals for Boeing and feeding the hungry general public. Owner Shan Janjua is opening a second location in Issaquah (1420 NW Gilman Blvd.) on Dec. 5, so now there’s twice the opportunity to dig into some chicken tikka masala, fish tandoori, and haleem, a dish of slow cooked lentils, mutton, barley, and fresh all spice that goes back to the days of the Mughal Empire. Bay Area transplants may recognize the restaurant’s name—Janjua’s father was part of a group of friends who opened Shalimar (my personal favorite), Chutney, Kabana, and Naan n Curry in San Francisco.

Experience the best of Seattle’s Japanese food in one spot.
We’re not talking sushi here—that’s Shiro’s game. But two local greats—Naka chef/owner Shota Nakajima and soba master Mutsuko Soma, formerly of Miyabi 45^th and now running the Kamonegi pop-up dinners—will be joining forces on Dec. 7 and 8 to put on a dinner that highlights the best of what both chefs do: crab, uni, black cod, and duck from chef Shota and soba with Wagyu matsutake mushrooms and dessert from chef Soma. These two approach Japanese food in a way that is both interesting and innovative, and you’ll want to be here. Tickets are $90 plus tax and gratuity, with the option for $30 sake pairings—call 206.294.5230.

Get nostalgic with Bisato.
It’s baaaaaaack. James Beard award-winning chef Scott Carsberg is reviving his beloved Belltown restaurant for a series of intimate 20-seat pop-up dinners: Dec. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 30 and 31. Carsberg has a history too long and impressive to go into here, but suffice it to say that he’s a legend in these parts. There’s even a Carsberg documentary in production now called The Last Course. His fans are no joke—within two days of mentioning the special meals on Bisato’s old Facebook page, there were only a handful of tickets left. Location TBA, but if you’re interested, you should email bisatopopup@gmail.com with the quickness. The $170 ticket includes five or six courses plus wine pairings and gratuity.

Ring in 2017 at Circadia
I think it’s safe to say that 2016 has been no one’s favorite year. Bid it adieu in style at Circadia, the just opened downtown restaurant that heralds the arrival (finally!) of Seattle’s legit fine dining scene—velvet banquettes and all. In keeping with their image, Circadia is throwing a Gatsby-themed New Year’s Eve bash: dinner (with dessert) is $100, plus $50 for beverage pairings, with the option of adding on bottomless champagne, foie gras and caviar dishes. Dressing up encouraged… every night at Circadia, but especially on NYE. You’ll want to make reservations, of course.