Get into the Christmas spirit

Finch & Forks Winter Chalet

They had me at caviar.

Finch & Fork at Kimpton Canary Hotel’s Cocktails & Bar Bites themes its special bar menu around an après-ski winter chalet experience and is a delightful mix of cozy comfort and elegant treats. Case in point: the aforementioned caviar, served with crème fraîche, homemade kettle chips and chicharrones (a bit like the high-low clothing trend, but with food), which paired beautifully with their Alpine Negroni, made with Hendrick’s Gin, Punt e Mes sweet vermouth, Campari, Braulio Amaro and a very special little Christmas tree – a touch of Douglas fir.

I also really enjoyed the Dirty Chai, a deliciously aromatic blend of Tito’s Vodka, Kahlúa, Oregon Chai (which was apparently the first chai brought to America), cold brew coffee, and cinnamon. The top performer on the menu of retro-inspired comfort food bites we sampled was the grilled cheese and tomato velouté (a dipping sauce made from the same rich heritage tomato soup on Finch & Fork’s year-round menu), made with grilled sourdough and a meltingly delicious combination of Gruyère, aged cheddar and Muenster cheese. The Winter French Onion Soup Flatbread also brought back nostalgic memories of my mother’s French Onion Soup, particularly the sherry-braised onions on the flatbread, which paired beautifully with the cider toddy made with Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Amontillado Sherry, fresh apple cider, maple and ginger.

In addition to the special bar snacks and cocktails – which also include a Classic Toddy, Second Slope (with cardamom-infused Tanqueray) and Ponche Navideño (a traditional Mexican Christmas punch, this contains original dark Planteray and pineapple rum) – the Canary also features a pop-up holiday photo station with Minted in the lobby. Minted, which makes personalized vacation photo cards, has set up a nook that looks like a cozy cabin, and there’s a free photo kiosk where guests can take vacation photos against a backdrop reminiscent of a cozy, wintry ski cabin. There’s no obligation to purchase anything, but you can receive your photo instantly via email, and if you’d like to customize a Christmas card from the company, there’s a special 20 percent discount.

Crochet & Cocktails is another holiday offering, running every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. through December 18th. Tickets are free (you purchase the cocktails and beginner crochet kits are available for purchase, or you can bring your own project), but reservations are required bit.ly/4fGPRmp.

The Winter Chalet is located at the Kimpton Canary Hotel, 31 West Carrillo Street. See finchandforkrestaurant.com.

Miracle at Pearl Social

A shimmering silver, gold and white explosion of seasonal festivities has cast Pearl Social Cocktail Club in a dazzlingly festive glow, and this year’s fourth annual Miracle Pop-Up Christmas Bar is taking over the normally understatedly chic Funk Zone space. The over-the-top cheesy fun experience is open until January 1st.

A dazzling, sparkling snow globe full of Christmas magic greets you this holiday season as you stroll through a patio of winter-white trees. They’ve got every kind of silver, white and gold Christmas decorations you can imagine stuffed here, including a special themed cocktail menu with crazy collectible Christmas ceramic cocktail vessels that don’t stick to the color scheme.

My first choice was the Yippie-Ki-Yay Mother F****r, a vacation-ready drink made with Barbados rum, Rhum Agricole, Trinidad Overproof Rum, Purple Ube, coconut and pineapple juice that may be the answer to the age-old debate about whether Die Hard is actually a Christmas film. And you drink it from a cup shaped like Santa’s pants!

The red dinosaur-shaped mug – decorated with a Santa hat and colored lights – contains another delicious rum drink, the Christmasaurus, made with pineapple rum, mezcal, velvet falernum, apricot liqueur, lime, coconut milk, as well as cumin, coffee and pineapple flavors. Other cocktail sweets that each have their own creative holiday-themed vessel to go with their clever names include the Christmapolitan (vodka-based, with spiced cranberry and absinthe mist) and the Snowball Old-Fashioned (with gingerbread in the traditional old-fashioned mix). fashionable) and the Stocking Stuffer (with the flavors Bourbon, Sherry, Amaro, Cinnamon, Bitters, Chocolate and Marshmallow).

There is also the crooked antler; Christmas slide; Run, run reindeer; Koala LaLaLa; Rudolph’s replacement; Jingle Bells Nog; and The Krampus, among others. In addition to the festive “Holly Jolly Bites & Merry Delights” appetizer menu with things like an Old-Fashioned Holiday Cheeseball & Crackers, Reindeer Chow (mixed nuts), and Christmas Deviled Eggs, sister restaurant Lucky Penny is joining the festivities, and you can order custom ones Wood-fired pizzas straight to your table.

Miracle has a $10 reservation fee (food and drinks are separate), which includes a light-up hat. All proceeds benefit the non-profit organization CALM.

Check out the magnificent wonder at Pearl Social: silver, gold and white embellishments are everywhere | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg

In addition to appealing to our inner children with great adult beverages, Miracle at Pearl Social also offers family-friendly hours for the whole family from 2 to 5 p.m. daily. Also for the family, there is a series of special events, “Miracle Presents: Elfing Around,” where children can experience the wonders of sister location Helena Avenue Bakery, where they can decorate a gingerbread house, dance with elves, hear festive stories, and visit Miracle at Pearl Social. Elfing Around takes place on December 7th and 8th from 1 to 3 p.m pearlsocialsb.com/events for details and reservations.

Miracle at Pearl Social is located at 131 Anacapa Street, Suite B. See pearlsocialsb.com.