The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American celebration on Christmas Eve. The tradition from Southern Italy includes eating dishes like baccala (salted cod), fried smelts, calamari and other types of seafood for dinner. The number 7 could be based on the seven deadly sins, the seven sacraments or God “resting” on the seventh day.
These New Jersey restaurants are serving fish-filled meals this month.
December 1-24
Spuntino Wine Bar & Italian Tapas
70 Kingsland Rd., Clifton
The courses include smoked salmon bruschetta, cod fritters, butter poached lobster, octopus ceviche, garlic shrimp, frutti di mare and grilled swordfish. You have the option to add a wine pairing for each course. The menu items are available a la carte as well.
December 4-8, 11-15, 18-23
Andrea Trattoria Italiana
412 Bank St., Cape May
There is a different menu of seven fish each week, ranging from linguini with clams and crab to baccala cod salad to spaghetti fra diavolo.
December 14
Spiaggetta Italian Restaurant
9800 3rd Ave., Stone Harbor
Since 2013, there’s one special evening with a multi-course feast of Italian delicacies, including baccala, calamari and branzino. There will be live music performed by violinist Jersey Gina.
December 18
Oyster Bay
615 Lafayette St., Cape May
The five courses feature seven different fishes prepared by Chef Joe Dodds and Chef Brad Daniels of Tresini.
December 18-19, 21-22
Hearthside BYOB
801 Haddon Ave., Collingswood
Reservations for the annual event must be made by phone only.
December 18-24
Nunzio by Chef Michael DeLone
706 Haddon Ave., Collingswood
The Feast of the 7 Fishes is available from December 18 to Christmas Eve, and includes family-style salt cod fritter, charred octopus with fried smelts, strozzapretti with clams, cioppino and branzino, and chocolate panna cotta.
December 24
Avenue Restaurant
23 Ocean Ave., Long Branch
Christmas Eve features the Feast of the Seven Fishes, while the New Year’s menu goes along with an open bar package, Champagne toast, live band, dancing, party favors and noise makers.
Iachetti’s Kitchen
918 Prospect St., Glen Rock
Iachetti’s will be open for takeout and catering for Christmas Eve and Day. The traditional Christmas Eve Italian catering meal is centered around seafood and feeds 8-10 people with crab stuffed mushrooms, stuffed little neck clams, calamari posillippo, and west coast cod cioppino. The Christmas Day menu will feature a choice of a main dish like honey baked smoked turkey breast or port braised beef short ribs to go along with sides like balsamic brussel sprouts and molasses spiced yams.
Nassau Street Seafood & Produce Co.
Princeton
Create your own Feast of the 7 Fishes at home. Seafood platters include shrimp cocktail and crab claws. The raw bar has oysters and clams on the half-shell, served by the half-dozen. Caviar options are farmed sturgeon, wild salmon roe and wild trout roe, among others. You can try a half pan of mussels, fish tacos, seafood paella, shrimp creole or buffalo calamari. For land lovers, you can order an Amish country turkey or a spiral-cut ham.
Roma Pizza & Stellato Ristorante
840 S. Rte. 73, West Berlin
All-you-can-eat seafood feast includes scallops, fried calamari, breaded flounder, clam strips, stuffed flounder with crabmeat, mussels, crab balls, smelts and shrimp scampi.
Catherine Lombardi
3 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
The antipasti of stuffed mushrooms, clams casino, roasted peppers and chilled seafood salad are served family style. Macaroni choices are linguine with clam sauce, spaghetti with anchovy black olive sauce and long fusilli marinara. The entrée choice is baked shrimp with crabmeat stuffing or stuffed calamari. Dessert choices include chocolate and hazelnut bread pudding, mascarpone cheesecake or zabaglione with fruit. The regular menu will be available as well.
Rexy’s
700 Black Horse Pike, West Collingswood Heights
The buffet includes selections like shrimp cocktail, fried smelts, a Tuscan board, apple walnut salad, clams in prosecco, crab cakes, green New Zealand mussels, baked cod, roasted potatoes and cookies for dessert.
Siena Italian Creative Cuisine
300 White Horse Rd., East Voorhees
The menu includes fried calamari, octopus salad, seafood risotto, grilled shrimp skewers, clam linguine, baked cod with herbs, and smoked salmon canapés.
Christie’s Italian Seafood Grill
2420 Rte. 9, Howell
Appetizers include shrimp cocktail, shrimp arabbiata and clams casino. Soups are lobster bisque or clam chowder. The salads aren’t topped with fish, but then you can choose pasta either with or without seafood, like homemade cavatelli in Bolognese sauce, or lobster ravioli. A separate seafood menu includes broiled stuffed shrimp, seafood fra diavolo and grilled Atlantic salmon in a pistachio pesto sauce. Chicken, veal and pork entrees are on the menu, too – in addition to a children’s menu.
Briglia’s Tavern
24 Rte. 73, Berlin
You can eat in or order a catering tray for your Christmas party, with way more than seven options, including fried smelts, fritto misto, chilled seafood salad, lobster arancini, mini breaded crab balls, breaded butterfly shrimp, lobster, a fried feast, stuffed salmon and seafood risotto.
Brando’s Citi Cucina
162 Main St., Asbury Park
Although there is no seven fishes package on Christmas Eve, you can order fish dishes a la carte, such as Chilean sea bass, spicy garlic shrimp, branzino, brodetto and halibut oreganata.
December 24-25
Louie’s by Chef Jason
1111 Rte. 130, Robbinsville
On Christmas Eve, you can make a reservation to dine in, and order from an a la carte menu or Feast of the 7 Fishes. Or, take out The Seven Fishes including lobster bisque, shrimp cocktail, octopus salad, crab fra diavolo and cioppino.
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