Seven Fishes

By Amy Cavanaugh
Osteria

Different cultures have different holiday traditions, and with those traditions come a whole lot of delicious dishes. One tradition is The Feast of the Seven Fishes, which is celebrated on Christmas Eve in Italy. The meal consists of lots of seafood items, so fish-lovers will want to check out these special dinners whether or not you celebrate Christmas. And you don’t have to wait until December 24 to dig in … some are already serving up special fish and seafood dishes.

  • Fish Bar’s menu runs now though December 16, so you can get in the holiday spirit. The six-course tasting menu includes crispy fluke, penne with shrimp, scallops, and octopus, and calamari stuffed with sausage. If you don’t want to commit to the whole meal, each dish is available a la carte. Plus glasses of Italian wine are available to pair with the meal.
  • At Bar Toma, the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner is available December 17-24. You can opt for a seven-course, family-style dinner, or order the seafood items a la carte.
  • At Osteria Via Stato, the Feast of Seven Fishes Christmas Eve Dinner is held on December 24 from 4-9:30 pm. Executive Chef David DiGregorio offers a meal that’s inspired by his family’s traditions. Start with antipasti like baccala spread on crostini, Rhode Island calamari with hot cherry peppers, and grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes, before moving onto seafood stew, linguine with shrimp, and salmon with artichokes. Desserts are thankfully seafood-free, and include ricotta cheesecake and eggnog gelati.
  • At Filini Bar & Restaurant, you can get the Feast of the Seven Fishes menu from December 24-30. The menu offers seven seafood courses, such as oysters on the half shell, citrus-cured salmon, and pan-seared salt cod, and a dessert of Neapolitan beignets with honey glaze.

Bar Toma
110 East Pearson Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-3110
Website

Fish Bar
2956 North Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 687-8177
Website

Filini Bar & Restaurant
221 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 477-0234
Website

Osteria Via Stato
620 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 642-8450
Website

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