Sara Reyes | Holiday Traditions

The Holiday Buffet at Neiman’s Zodiac Room
The Holiday Buffet starts with a Neiman Marcus tradition, their hot chicken consommé, fresh popovers and strawberry butter.
Festive Salads
Vegetable Pot Stickers with thai soy ginger sauce
Bocconcini & Grape Tomatoes: frisée, pesto vinaigrette
Bistro Spinach & Field Greens Salad: apples, grapes, spiced pecans, blue cheese, sun-dried fruit, apple cider vinaigrette
Gotham Salad: diced chicken breast, ham, gruyére, tomatoes, beets, bacon, egg, iceberg lettuce, thousand island dressing
Southwest Quinoa Salad: avocado, roasted corn, cilantro, lime-chipotle vinaigrette
Asian Shrimp Salad: edamame, napa, carrots, bean sprouts, sweet chili
Roasted Garlic Eggless Caesar: romaine, anchovies, parmigiano-reggiano, croutons
Italian Tuna & Antipasti: arugula, radicchio, artichoke, red onion, roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon, tomato

NM Classics
Orange soufflé, chicken salad, seasonal fruit, berries & poppyseed dressing
Kendlebrook farms smoked salmon, chopped liver, egg, cornichons, hummus, grilled pita, olives, horseradish pickles, artichoke & roasted garlic puree, capers, onions, lemon

Main Entrees
Roast Black Angus Prime Rib Roast, au jus, creamy horseradish sauce
Holiday Roast Herb Turkey & Traditional Sides, pan gravy, thyme & parsley dressing, yukon gold mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, spiced pecans & maple sweet potatoes
Slow Roast Rosemary & Glazed Mustard Ham, pear & goat cheese pasta purses
Mirin-Glazed Salmon Filet, stir-fry vegetables, brown rice
Mediterranean Scented Roast Lamb, smoked paprika aïoli, ratatouille
NM Triple Cheese Mac & Cheese, herb crumb topping
Petite Potato Latkes, sour cream, apple sauce
Seasonal Vegetables, olive oil, lemon

Sweet Endings
White chocolate mousse, berry blue jello, coconut macaroons, pecan sandies, blueberry cupcakes, blue & white cheesecake, assorted holiday cookies

Yesterday we observed one of our family traditions -- the Holiday Buffet at Neiman Marcus Zodiac Room. The Zodiac is located in the flagship store in downtown Dallas and one of the city's treasured landmarks. Many years ago when I worked in downtown I learned about Neimans and had a celebratory lunch in the famous Zodiac but it wasn't until my son worked in downtown Dallas and did NOT get off on the day after Thanksgiving that our family started doing the Holiday Buffet. It was such a hit that we haven't missed many holidays since our first time.

The thing about traditions are the memories created and ours are filled with
reliving grand holiday displays as I remember from Philadelphia. Growing up in
rural Amish country of Pennsylvania, I can't remember any holiday lights or
Christmas trees. It wasn't until I went to college that I witnessed all the
lights and flamboyance of the holidays. My first two years in the early 1970s
were the heydays of the big stores in downtown Philadelphia: Wanamakers,
Gimbels, Strawbridge and Lits Brothers. Sadly they are all gone now and replaced
by JC Penneys and Macys, but we did have the chance to take our son to one of
the last Wanamakers Holiday Displays. So when we discovered the Neiman Marcus
downtown it was wonderful and very different from the mall experience.

Over the past 10 years, Neiman Marcus has tried to bring back the holidays with
splashy and imaginative window displays. For those of you in the big cities of
New York and San Francisco, this is probably old hat but for some of us in the
Dallas area, it's just fabulous.

And the Holiday Buffet is a great excuse to go downtown, enjoy the window
displays, spend time with the family, indulge in delicious food and have a great
time.

What are YOUR holiday traditions?

Tomorrow we'll begin our Twelve Days of Christmas celebration with some special contests and prizes given away EVERY DAY! Please be sure to stop by! Until next time...Get out there and READ a book...
Sara Reyes
DFW Tea Readers Group
Join us at Susan Elizabeth Phillips Tea at The Adolphus on January 24th! Tea in the famous French Room with one of the legends of romance! Tickets available. See you on the Twitter (@FreshFiction)

Comments

15 comments posted.

Re: Sara Reyes | Holiday Traditions

Wow that restaurants menu sounds fabulous! I would love to go there!
(Brenda Rupp 12:04pm December 24, 2010)

I try to keep my Mom's memory alive by baking her famous prune cookies. They sound gross, but everyone that's had one, gets hooked, and asks me for some when they hear I'm going to bake them the following year!! I also make sure I make other family dishes. I won't be spending Christmas with my family this year, since I don't live near them, but my Husband and I will spend a nice Christmas at home with my comfort foods and the comfort of each other. It should be a nice, peaceful day out in the country, although a bit melancholy without the family.
(Peggy Roberson 12:39pm December 24, 2010)

The one constant holiday tradition in our family is that we
keep our tree up until January 6th. Not only is that Little
Christmas, it's also my youngest sister's birthday.
(Margay Roberge 1:14pm December 24, 2010)

For the last couple of years we have celebrated Christmas Eve with my husband playing Santa Clause to other people's children. Afterwards we usually go to his sister's or brother's house to celebrate. On Christmas day we celebrate alone with just the two of us.

Merry Christmas everyone!
(Cathy Phillips 1:16pm December 24, 2010)

I love holiday traditions! Our biggest is finding the perfect tree!
(Pamela Stewart 1:58pm December 24, 2010)

Being with Family if the best Xmas present ever.

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year
(Pat Wilson 5:20pm December 24, 2010)

Merry Christmas!
(Diane Sadler 8:31pm December 24, 2010)

That NM Buffet sounds fabulous. We just had traditional Christmas Eve appetizer buffet supper & went to the candle-light church service. Happy Holidays!
(Diane Sallans 9:42pm December 24, 2010)

Today was long,but it was nice not going out of town for once. :D
(Molly Wilsbacher 12:04pm December 25, 2010)

My only tradition is making sure I get to see It's A Wonderful Life on tv; I love that movie:)
(Bella Franco 12:56pm December 25, 2010)

I love It's A Wonderful Life too. I'm kins of like the little girl practicing the piano so that we can sing without my sour notes :) This year my 7 year old "great" granddaughter was the star of our Christmas eve. She spoke up very matterafactly (is that a word?) getting all the family's attention & stated she would sing & Mamma would play the piano. And we did just that. Away In The Manger never sounded so sweet as it did this evening as she gave her love gift to family & to Jesus. It was a rendition of our traditions & taking place in a new generation. I just love it! Merry Christmas all & Happy New Year!!
(Jean Merriott 3:16am December 25, 2010)

My dad and I always used to have oyster stew on Christmas Eve---but now since my husband doesn't like oysters, I've changed to having Swedish potato sausage.
(Sue Farrell 11:44am December 25, 2010)

My Mother's Christmas Cakes are one of my favorite traditions. They are made weeks before & are delicious.
(Mary Preston 3:39pm December 25, 2010)

We've moved off of having everything all in the same day, now it's spread over two days and isn't quite so stuffing. My brother makes kielbasa and sauerkraut that's mild and his wife makes her famous chocolate dipped cookies, chips, pretzels, crushed peppermint and nuts. We do a puzzle over at mom's and exchange gifts and stories. My new tradition is a Boar's Head Festival at a cathedral where costumed people stage a parade with pageantry and singing and lead a donkey and sheep down the aisles. The mince pies were quite tasty along with plum pudding.
(Alyson Widen 7:15pm December 27, 2010)

A constant in our family is spending time together and opening
our gifts on Christmas Eve around a fire after a big dinner.
(Jacquelyn Lane 10:34pm December 27, 2010)

Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!