For many people across the country and beyond, the holidays mean warm houses filled with the ones we love, festive music, and of course fabulous food.  The latter, of course, means some of us will be spending a lot of our time in the kitchen.  It’s important for those of us busy planning and preparing meals to take some time for ourselves, so let’s give someone else a chance to do the cooking.

Nantucket is home to many eateries, from family friendly to world class.  And though many of them have shut their doors for the season, a brave few soldier through the winter storms to fill our bellies and feed our souls.

Eating out on Thanksgiving is sacrilege to some, but I can imagine the joy of coming home to a clean stove and empty sink after enjoying my meal at one of the island’s many restaurants.  If you’re catching a flight on turkey day, Crosswinds will be open until 2pm to serve not only travelers but the rest of Nantucket, too, so a drive down Old South Road to watch the kickoff might not be a bad idea.

The Faregrounds will be serving the community most of the day with food and drink from 12pm
to 7pm on Thanksgiving.  If you’re feeling rather bottomless, stroll on over for their buffet and dine to your heart’s content for just $40.99.  They bring the bounty back with another buffet on Christmas Eve when they’ll stay until 8pm, so you’ll have plenty of time to wrap the gifts and stuff the stocking before heading out.

For a more upscale experience, take in the sights and smells downtown before moseying over to the Brant Point Grille.  They’re offering the island’s best brunch all day on Thanksgiving serving traditional fare, a raw bar, a kids corner, and live music. They also feature a special menu for Stroll, which will no doubt make this Christmas one to remember.

If you want to wrap everything in a perfect package, then Breeze at The Nantucket Hotel is the place to go.  Not only will they offer a special buffet from 12pm to 6pm on Thanksgiving, there’s also live music, antique firetruck rides, and supervised programs for the kids on their deck.

Things only get better as winter rolls in with Stroll dining events and an a la carte menu.  There will be new menus and music on the porch with live music, cocktails and appetizers all weekend and a Meet Santa Brunch on December 16th.  On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, indulge in their holiday prefix menu from 5pm to 9pm.

Finally, ring in the New Year at Breeze with dinner and dancing until the wee hours.  They even provide a separate supervised party for the kids so you can really unwind in 2019.

Since these are busy days for all of us, be sure to call ahead before heading out.  Many restaurants are first come first served while others are still taking reservations. And though some spots are already booked solid, they may be offering wait lists.