Holiday meals made at home the day of the celebration are amazing; festive feasts that can feed the entire family for the rest of the season by just making a reservation are maybe even better. Lone Tree’s Larry Herz, the restaurant department head at OCN Eats and area restaurateur for more than 20 years, has a few ideas on where to go for the latter.
![Ambli Global](https://avidlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ambli_chef-web.jpg)
AMBLI GLOBAL
Denver Tech Center
720.749.4703
“Ambli is like nothing you’ve seen anywhere else,” Herz says. The focus on international fare means no traditional holiday dishes; only interesting plates that serve as hearty winter comfort food. Order the Lobster Shooters, Herz says: “They’re so friggin’ good.”
ON THE HOLIDAY MENU: Everything—technically—with the five- to six-dish Chef’s Tasting Menu, a new year-round item the restaurant will be focusing on throughout the season. “Our menu isn’t like a pizza place, where you can know what things are going to taste like,” says owner Pariza Mehta. “This gives people a chance to try our food and lets us be creative and pair items that you wouldn’t usually put together. Plus, tasting menus can be so expensive, but ours is $40 per person, with an optional wine pairing menu.”
![Ocean Prime DTC truffle filet](https://avidlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ocean_prime_truffle_filet-web-1024x868.jpg)
OCEAN PRIME DENVER TECH CENTER
Greenwood Village
303.552.3000
Make reservations early: This new location of Ocean Prime is starting its first holiday season since opening earlier this year, and “I’m sure it’ll be jam-packed,” Herz says. “I never go without getting the Mile High Carrot Cake. It has 10 layers, takes two days to make and it’s enough for four people. … You’ll want for nothing here.”
ON THE HOLIDAY MENU: The Salty Carmel cocktail and Piedmontese Filet, made with the truffle lover of the family in mind. The filet is topped with a rich truffle butter (made with roasted garlic, shallots, chopped truffles and truffle oil) and then garnished with sliced black winter truffles. Rumor has it the aroma is scrumptious.
![Pino's Italian Kitchen and Bar ravioli](https://avidlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pinos_lobster_ravioli-web.jpg)
PINO’S ITALIAN KITCHEN AND BAR
Castle Pines
303.663.3421
The classic ristorante Italiano is a neighborhood favorite for a reason. For Herz, that reason is the Penne Rustica, penne pasta in a tomato cream sauce with chicken, sausage and cheese, all baked in a wood-burning oven.
ON THE HOLIDAY MENU: Butternut Squash Ravioli with diced asparagus; Lobster Stuffed Ravioli with a lump crab and sherry sauce and jumbo shrimp; Short Rib Fettuccini Stroganoff; Bone-In Ribeye Gorgonzola; and Pesto Gnocchi with blackened wild-caught salmon. In a word, yum.
![Seirra eggnog](https://avidlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/sierra_eggnog-web-1024x741.jpg)
SIERRA
Lone Tree
303.662.8800
Herz refers to Sierra as likely one of the “nicest restaurants in the metro area.” His arguments: The expansive square footage, the views and a few recommended dishes—the Santa Fe Style Enchiladas, Chile Rellenos and the Rotisserie Chicken.
ON THE HOLIDAY MENU: Cocktails. Sierra sticks to staple menu items even during this time of year. New to the bar menu is eggnog, with Woodford Reserve, sherry, rum and brandy; the Maple Mountaintop, a whiskey cocktail with Whistle Pig maple syrup, orange juice and Grand Marnier; and a traditional Hot Toddy with a twist, made using orange juice and two sweeteners—honey and maple syrup.