The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a Christmas Eve tradition for many Italian and Roman Catholic families who abstain from eating land animals and their fat that evening, choosing instead to dine on several seafood courses. The rules of the feast have evolved over the years, including which fish to consume and in how many courses but often smelt, salted cod, and calamari are on the menu. And, of course, lots of wine.
Here, now, are four Italian restaurants in Atlanta preparing the multi-course fish feast on Christmas Eve.
Piastra in Marietta
Located on Marietta Square, Piastra will offer six days to feast on fish for dinner beginning on Tuesday, December 19 through Christmas Eve. The menu includes calamari stuffed with shrimp sausage, leek and garlic soup with lobster and crab tortoloni, arugula and endive salad with octopus, and roasted flounder. Reservations are encouraged. [Marietta Daily Journal]
45 West Park Square, Marietta. 770-425-9300.
Cibo e Beve in Sandy Springs
Join chef Linda Harrell as she hosts her annual Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve beginning at 5 p.m. The menu will include mussels, lobster ravioli, Alabama paddlefish caviar crostini, and roasted halibut. The full Christmas Eve menu is available online. Reservations are required.
4969 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-250-8988.
il Giallo in Sandy Springs
Beginning at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, il Giallo will be serving its version of the feast which will include roast peppers stuffed with tuna belly, crab and scallop ragu, and New England hake baked in parchment paper. $45 per person. Reservations are encouraged.
5920 Roswell Road B-118, Sandy Springs. 404-709-2148.
Davio’s in Buckhead
The special Christmas Eve menu at Davio’s will include smoked salmon carpaccio, Nantucket bay scallop risotto, and seafood cioppino (stew) with lobster, shrimp, hake, clams, and mussels. $75 per person. The regular dinner menu will be available that evening. Reservations encouraged.
Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-844-4810.