Merry Christmas!

25 December, 2015

We started the day with a traditional "Full English" breakfast cooked in the flat; eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms and toast. In the spirit of holiday excess we augmented this with bagels & lox as well as scones with jam and clotted cream. Round it out with tea, coffee, and juice to complete the morning feast.

Afterwards we opened gifts and a few small Christmas Crackers. We drew names and everyone went shopping on Christmas Eve so that we'd have small gifts to exchange. After opening our creatively-wrapped gifts we played games for a while and watched Christmas movies (A Christmas Story, of course!) on DVD from the laptop which was connected to the television with an HDMI cable I carry in my computer bag. We had reservations late in the afternoon for dinner at a well-reviewed gastro-pub just a few blocks away.

The Only Running Footman (Update: in early 2016 the pub was closed and has since reopened under the name The Footman) provided an outstanding traditional English Christmas dinner. The Pre Fixe menu had enough variety to satisfy any taste and all six of us were able to find something that suited us. A nice selection of beers and ciders were also available to complement the meal and the service was attentive and well-paced, especially given the demands presented by a multi-course meal being served to a full house. Every place setting included a large Christmas cracker and there were mince pies to savor even after dessert was served. All of us were ready for someone to carry us down stairs and roll us home after the meal. We understand that the head chef from the The Only Running Footman was installed at its sister pub, the Portman, just a short distance away across Oxford Street. We'll have to pay it a visit on our next trip across the pond and report back. As best I can tell from the postings on FaceBook it appears that the Footman was forced to close in some part due to issues pertaining to the lease on the property. It was in the center of Mayfair just off Berkeley Square so I suspect the landlord was demanding a significant rent increase. 

The rest of the evening was spent in a food coma, somewhat tempered by a raucous game of Cards Against Humanity and a few libations to help the digestive process along. While it was definitely a Christmas day much different than any other we have ever experienced it was quite enjoyable and a pleasant change of pace. We certainly missed the routine of our usual visits to extended family, but the variety was fun. It has certainly opened the door to future variations on established family traditions.